well snapdragon i have no children and yet i still don't like dumbledore being gay. so EAT IT!

gangsturrs know how it is these days..living in the ghetto. dude people got mad at me because i said dumbledore could rape harry i was like omg people rape people it wouldn't be that big of a shock..

snapdragon---have you been reading my posts? I have been saying this whole time that I don't give a rat's ass if he's gay. When I have kids i intend to tell them that homosexuality is NOT a sin. I don't believe I've said anything hypocritical. In fact, didn't you read the post that I wrote that said the same thing about heterosexual snogging in the book?

i said that yesterday and a bunch of ppl started attacking me. i know, u hear it on the news everyday rite..

chflitwick: jo said it was unrequited love :( here's the quote from the newsweek article: "She added that, in her mind, Dumbledore had an unrequited love affair with Gellert Grindelwald, Voldemort's predecessor who appears in the seventh book."

Am I missing something? I don't get it; how does any of this matter at all? I'm trying to rethink the books to see if Dumbledore's sexuality makes a difference in the reading of the story in any way...

erm, so its wrong to disagree with jk doing this and for expressing that? How does that correlate with not being a true fan? Flawed logic for the win there. HPfant, how does eccentric have any relation to being gay? good for you youre uncles gay, everyone know a gay person they just might not know there gay. And my argument isnt against jo for making a gay charecter, its for doing it in this fashion.

Sorry, chflitwick - copied the wrong name. I meant Harriet_Lily_Snape. I need sleep.

moonal --- Sure- I was just thinking we could start talking about the books again rather than all the backwoods political arugments and idiotic chest thumping homophobic comments.

Moonal--Thanks, and I am familiar with Grindelwald, I've read the books.

haha danizzle i didnt even read ur comment thats funny we both thought that....true story. WOW. seriously and since dumbledore likes men then it would be more if a chance that he would rape harry then a girl....but it could go both ways im not saying he did....just like hermonie could have raped a girl.......or anybody...grrrr

Snapdragon - Your logic really has me reeling. Because I love my children, I teach them about all aspects of life - whether I agree with it or not. I do this within my own home so I can explain things to them when they have questions. We speak openly about anything they want to talk about. I don't shield them from anything. That said - I don't bring homosexuality into my home so my kids can understand it, I don't bring over the neighbors and kill them so my kids can understand it. I want my children to learn about love and life, including death, so they have pets. Pets are loved, they live and die. I don't have my kids reading horrible things so they can learn about the horror in the world. Your argument about having children learn about the crap in the world by reading about it in a book just shows that you either don't have children or you don't parent responsibly. My children's education about everything in this world is my responsibility - NOT JKR's. And lest any ignoramus toss around another of what seems to be a big word for them such as hypocrite or homophobe - my children are aware of the good and the bad, because they have learned about it from me. My children are not prejudiced in any fashion because I have taught them not to be. I have taught them to be tolerant and loving of all people, regardless of whether they make life-choices we agree with. THAT is my job - not JKR's, regardless of her God-complex.

oh and i did have kind of a problem with the whole merlin's pants thing. so ha what now.

It strikes me as ironic the number of people who are saying that Dumbledore was one of their favourite characters and that he's ruined for them now. Throughout the entire series Dumbledore expounded the virtue of acceptance - he treated everyone equally; muggleborn, wizardborn, werewolf, orhpan, slytherin or gryffindor, the list goes on and on and on and on and it illudes me how there can be such a complete turn around amongst readers who not two days ago held Dumbledore up as a role model. The truth of the matter is that according to JKR (the only true authority on the novels) Dumbledore was a homosexual all thoughout the novels it's just that it wasn't mentioned - and why should it have been? It shouldn't change anything at all. The fact that we only find out about it now should hopefully highlight the fact that who someone is attracted to makes no difference to how we should feel about them or the achievements they've made. I fail to see (especially considering the sort of character Dumbledore was) how there can be such a huge backlash over this piece of information.

chflitwick: i know you're familiar with the books. i pasted a quote directly from the newsweek article, whose author assumes the general public might not know who grindelwald is. -- The_Fat_Lady: yea i was really looking forward to some good analysis and discussing potential clues and such with other fans, but sadly that hasn't happened at all :(

gangstas think alike...always goin for the cash. yeah for real panslice, hermione coulda raped winky

I respect your right to teach your children whatever you want to, but on the same token, I think it is the responisbility of a parent to provide their children with objective information and let them make their own decisions. I seem to recall you said your child was seven? I f so, sure, he/she does not need to know about anything sexual, but any older than ten and you are doing the a disservice to not explain things to them.

ruthietoothie9 - by your own argument, you are pushing YOUR agenda onto your children.

all right everyone lay off ruthietoothie9. it is her right and hers alone to decide how she wants to raise her kids. i bet most of you are still teenagers and know nothing about kids.

well, I have to go...have fun....the fat lady, again, youre insults are unfounded. bye

ruthietoothie9: if you are trying to teach your children about life. then why are you going to suddenly disallow them to read the books? Just because Jo made an announcement about a character?! Nowhere in the books does it mention that Dumbledore is gay. I don't understand how that is a reason for anyone to stop reading them. They are good literate, period. All books don't have to be compressed into one genre or the other; Jo herself said that they were never meant to be childrens' books. If you think your children are mature enough to handle them, let them read them. Not letting them read the books simply because of a fact about a character doesn't make sense... if there were anything Jo has written that children should be shielded from, it is the death and evil, not any one person's sexual orientation.

Ceywood - you said: "all thoughout the novels it's just that it wasn't mentioned - and why should it have been?" So why should it have been mentioned now? How was relevant to the stories now? Maybe book sales are down now? I know many people who didn't buy book 7 because they heard about how many people she killed off. I certainly won't be buying my kids copies of it, like I did with some of the early books. This was clearly just a stupid ploy to sell more books. Undoubtedly some people will be stupid enough to fall for it.

Don't assume Potterfanatic

yahhhha gotta get that money in the bank like a real g-g-g-g-unit should. exactly....ur a smart cookie im gonna mail you a present tonight...haha. also what i think is lame how okay..wait for it wait for it...k. so SOME people get offended when others say shiz like being gay is wrong there like u need to be more open minded and whatnot...i think being gay is gross and not natural...but that doesn't mean i hate gay people....just like i think smokin weed is disgusting (not really danny i just have to say this so the po pos dont find out) but i have friends that smoke weed i dont hate them i just think what they do is no good.

Moonal-I apologize, I did not mean to seem rude.

I agree with Ceywood. Look at what Dumbledore was throughout the series. He is a phenominal character and nothing can change that. I think this gives us a chance to understand dumbledore more as a character. Hopefully this will show children that your sexual preference does not matter at all compared to who you are. Long live Dumbledore!

i said most. not all smart ass

dumbledore should move to china and sell rice.

Potterfanatic93-- Even if you said most, it's still assuming smart ass

I agree that the info regarding Dumbledore's preference is irrelevant but that's exactly why it IS important for Jo to bring it up now - it beautifully highlights the fact that having a certain preference makes no difference to how we should feel about a person or treat them and has nothing to do with their achievments. Dumbledore is no different today than he was 2 weeks ago or 2 years ago. I also have trouble believing this to be a ploy to sell more books considering the Potter novels are the fastest selling books in literary history. I don't think Ms Rowling is in need of publicity or money and I don't believe revealing the history of one of her own, much-loved characters should be cast in such a light. If she'd said he had a girlfriend in his past (therefore confirming he was heterosexual) I don't imagine we'd be having this debate now.

spoken like a tru gangsta-g. no...can't have those po pos on ur tail...yay i'm a cookie!

Well I admit I thought it was a joke when I first read it. But it doesnt really bother me and it shouldnt bother anyone else. I happen to be a hard-core Christian who disagrees with the homosexual lifestyle. But I also happen to have plenty of friends with this lifestyle and I respect them for who they are. Being gay is not something you choose (although some people do choose it). And Dumbledore is still as great a character as he always was.

ruthietoothie9 et all, why was it important to reveal this now? There's a simply answer. We as fan drove the reveal. We have a need to find out all details about Rowling characters. After Book 7 came out, many questions and clarifications have come out about the characters. Finding out that Dumbledore was gay is no different than finding out what Harry, Ron and Hermione's jobs were when they grew up. We needed to know more and more and more. In all interviews after Book 7, Rowling has been filling us in on more backstory. It is not a ploy to sell more books. We asked for it, and we got. Maybe now fans will be satisfied and not need to know any and all minor character details.

So, ruthietoothie, are you saying that you don't want your children reading ANY books that have darker themes in them because it wouldn't be you teaching them about such things? Your children are not going to take your word for everything, as much as that frightens the blazes out of you and it seems to be one of your biggest fears. At some point, they will begin to formulate their own opinions. Sometimes it's in your favor, and sometimes it's not. Authors of children's literature do not constantly keep the best interests of the parents in mind because they do need to deal with darker themes for their books to be realistic. I know PLENTY of people who are as sheltered as your children probably are. At some point, they will seek other answers, not just yours. It's better for them to be exposed to several different opinions other than yours. Children have a natural instinct to rebel from their parents, afterall. No one said you had to bring over a neighbor and kill them for your children to be exposed to death - that whole statement of yours was just silly. I've been reading books similar in themes to HP since early elementary school. Had it not been for these books, I wouldn't have accepted the death of my father and brother as well as I did, I am sure of it. Children's and YA literature helped me much more than adults constantly wanting to sit down with me and talk to me about it have with that. Sometimes children need their own private refuge they can escape to in order to process these things in their own way. They do eventually need to let go of their parents' hands, and parents owe their children personal space.

chflitwick: it's okay :) everyone's tired i think. -- i wanna agree with tkoko and say that dumbledore is still the best character in the series. dumbledore's woman through and through!

how is being gay something u dont choose. yah because all the people i know were forced to be gay that really doesn't make any sense. yes danizzle u are a cookie...WHATS UR A FLAVA?? i know man i already had to run from them 3 times now iam in my secret cave....somewhere under a truck in Mexico.

wow. first dumbledore's a wizard and then he's gay! he's gonna like overthrow satan or something.

Is she serious? darn that just ruins the series I mean come on!!!She should've kept that to herself.......... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SO MAD

i_loverz_HP ---Being gay is something you don't choose because, according to much scientific research, the majority of homosexuals are born gay, just as you ( I assume) were born as a heterosexual. It works both ways.

yeah I agree with what wondermus22 said. Jo didn't just throw it out there for publicity, she was asked and answered truthfully. It was something she had, as the INVENTOR OF THE CHARACTER, decided on, and keeping it from fans would be wrong. To all the people who say it was unnecessary for her to tell us, it should be no different from anything else she's told us since DH's release. I don't see 2000 posts bashing Neville/Hannah. There is no difference. and i_loverz_HP, being gay ISNT something people always chose. Just like people don't choose to fall in love with a person of the opposite sex. It's LOVE, plain and simple.

Dont be upset about it guys. =) It never says it in the books so just go right on believing he's whatever you want him to be. That, after all, is the beauty of fiction. ;) Oh and...I'd like to hear what the actors and actresses have to say about this...

ruthietoothie9: Oh please, get over yourself. Today's generation of children have boyfriends and girlfriends at the age of 10 for crying out loud, and your comment just about tells everybody who reads it that you have a problem with gay people. And waht are you talking about by 'Sexuality of any kind has no place in children's literature'? That's R-I-D-C-U-L-O-U-S. I don't mean to be rude, but not only children read Harry Potter. Besides, kids are going to find out sooner or later what being gay means. Sexuality and love attractions are all part of life. Kids go to school, I'm 13, and everyday I hear kids talking about sex, who's hot and who's not. Even when I was in the 2nd grade! And I live in Melbourne, Australia. I seriously cannot imagine what it would be like in the US. When I was in New York 5 years ago, I saw my share of Brothels and prositutes, and they were on the routes home from Primary Schools too. I cannot believe that you think Dumbledore being gay warps children's minds! Especially when the Harry Potter series has turned thousands of children onto reading, throughout the world. Besides, JK Rowling never even mentions him gay in the books. And in fact, the worst JK Rowling has written into a Harry Potter book was 'arse, bloody and girl.' And Deathly Hallows was a very complex book to understand too, not difficult, but a 9 year old would have had trouble understanding some passages, I mean to say. One of the most complex book series I have ever read was His Dark Materials, and they are children's books too! Besides, if you think JK Rowling is exploiting sex to children in her Harry Potter series by saying that Dumbledore has opposite attractions to the average person, trying reading the CHERUB series.

i dont think thats true at all......people decide if they wanna be gay/lesbian/bi/. everybody's born straight. thats what i believe and im not changing my mind otherwise.

u can't be born gay...u can hide in my garage cheeseslice.

Chflitwick – My 7yo is my youngest, not my only child. wondermus22 – You bet your booty I’m indoctrinating my own children. That is a parent’s right and responsibility. Candyg rl – You make a very good point. Why on earth is JKR making up more facts that she decided to leave out of the books? With all the extra info she’s been making up since the last book came out, she could have written another entire book. BTW – “They are good literate� is an illiterate thing to say. I guess JKR didn’t teach you to be literate afterall. My children are literate because I’ve taught them to be. Imagine that! What have your parents been teaching you? Snapdragon - I'm sorry you didn't have a better relationship with the adults in your life. My kids and I are good friends. My kids also read what they choose to. My 7yo is reading HP1. I won't encourage him to continue, but it isn't like I'm planning a community book burning or anything. Get real. Also, my kids live a full life and are exposed to what is appropriate at the appropriate age. It isn't someone else's right to decide that for them - its mine. i_loverz_HP - I enjoy your comments immensely. You have me ROFL.

Indeed - it's simply backstory, the same as all of the other information she's ever been kind enough to give us. No different to telling us that Neville married Hannah or what Petuni couldn not bring herself to tell Harry the night they parted.

Yes, HPFANTimothy, I would assume that it is several times worse in the U.S. I can remember hearing the word "fag" constantly, and I never heard a teacher say a thing about it. Sex and Homosexuality are very abundant in America, especially in schools

yeah i learned about gays and stuff in 4th or 5th grade but i still don't want dumbledore to be gay. cal me narrow minded or homohobia whatever you like but i still don't care. I'm entitled to my own opinion aren't i?

I am so disgusted by what some of you have said. I cannot believe anyone feels that this changes the story AT ALL or that now you wouldn't want your children reading the books. The ignorance ... Dumbledore's sexuality does not affect the story in the slightest. And I really admire JKR for coming out with this information, since there is no reason she shouldn't. Do any of you seriously think that Dumbledore had ANY intention of raping Harry? seriously? The whole homosexual controversy really hits close to my heart, since I have many gay friends and live with 2 gay men. To hear that some of you don't want your kids to know or read the books anymore really hurts because this information could be teaching so many people tolerance and acceptance.

You can believe it, but it's not true. I know kids from very conservative homes that realize in their teens that they are attracted to the opposite sex. And many homosexuals hide their sexuality because they're uncomfortable with it, which, if they chose it, they obviously wouldn't be. oh and BTW, Grnd3lW4Ld, your site sucks. If you're going to make entire sites to bash people, atleast make a mature point. And use proper grammar. :)