Head Homo In Charge
By now you’ve heard the “news”. The late Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts was gay. Naturally, the revelation of the sexuality of a fictional character has sparked a gamut of emotion from disgust and outrage on the ridiculous right to praise and pride on the loony left and everything in between.
postmodernbarney.com calls Rowling craven for this after the fact tidbit. Time magazine states a similar line of thought, albeit less strongly worded. Comments on the more matter-of-fact CNN article are very diverse being both supportive and derisive. From these comments you can discern the fact that many, many Christian people are buying and reading these books despite the book burnings call for by the Dobson-like right-wing drones/clones.
First, a comment on the possible “satanic” nature of Harry Potter. There isn’t any. Wizardry in this fictional universe isn’t accomplished by calling on outside powers. It appears to be an innate ability of the magic users. This would seem to make wizards and witches a subspecies of humanity rather than ordinary humans selling their soul to defy the laws of the universe. Rowling’s universe contains no other dimensions, worlds, realms, etc… It’s merely differently talented people getting along in a world where they are outnumbered by the less powerful masses.
Second, is Rowling craven or an attention whore for her post-completion news? I don’t think so. First, the stories are told from the point of view of Harry Potter and his friends, not Dumbledore, the muggles, the ministry of magic or any of the Hogwarts faculty. Harry Potter has a lot of issues and is kept busy by the fact that someone is attempting to kill him. This would preclude him from noticing or attempting to discern the sexuality of his teacher; a man who is supposed to be approximately 110 years old. I know that in school, I really didn’t care who my teachers slept with, especially if they were old enough to collect social security, and I didn’t have anyone on my tail trying to blast me into atoms. I also speculate that Dumbledore wasn’t fully formed in the first couple of books and this may not have yet been a fact. Rowling started writing the first book in 1990 when Fraulein Thatcher was still in charge of the UK and Bush I was still infecting the US. Not exactly an ideal time to insert a gay character into a story aimed at children. This probably came about during the third or fourth book when Dumbledore’s role become much more prominent. Apparently clues are slipped in at this time, but my rather quick reading of the books a couple of years ago caused me to miss them. However, a coworker of mine says she kinda knew all along. I never claimed to have perfect gaydar.
Whatever you think of this, the fact remains that Dumbledore’s sexuality isn’t mentioned in the books and has no effect on the stories. For those on the right that are now calling the books garbage, enjoy them and do what you do best. Keep your children in ignorance of this fact. For those on the left claiming Rowling a coward, lighten up. It’s just a story.