OMG

[ishtar79]

Regarding JKR outing Dumbledore…

Honestly, I did a double take and wondered if I was still dreaming when I read that.

Yes, I still believe that Important Character Information should be included in the books as opposed to divulged in interviews. Yes, I admit my second reaction (after picking my jaw off the floor) was “…but like the manipulative bit, we sort of knew that already’. Yes, an even better reaction to a major gay character in a children’s book would be a gay character in a happy or at least requited’ relationship in a children’s book. *In the actual text*, even.

But I’m leaving aside all those quibbles because even if a portion of the millions of children who read this book worldwide hear of this, if it makes it makes them think about the fact that one of their favourite figures in the book is a gay man, if this makes it more ok to be gay or more accepting of gay people….well. This is HUGE.

And man oh man, the HP book-burning Christian Right is gonna be PISSED.

Comments

[aewyn7.livejournal.com]

That’s a good point about the kids reading this interview. I had the same “but why isn’t this in the books?” reaction, but if there’s someone who becomes more accepting of gay people because a character they like is revealed to be gay that’s of course great.

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

Any children getting their moral messages from HP are already irredeemably lost.

Ugh, she's so embarrassing. Give me credit for my PC attitude and worship me, fandom!' (that stupid-ass faux-naive 'Oh, really, you find that interesting? I know about fanfiction!' crap made me wince) 'even though I don't have the balls to include this in the book in case the book-burners I keep proclaiming I'm not bothered by boycott me and I only make £28590395943005 this year instead of £28590395943006!'
If it was a straight couple, something as huge as one person being in love with the other (UNREQUITED, THOUGH - one gay person is enough for any world, less actual sex occurs. In love is one thing, sodomy is quite another!) who then, like, turns into Hitler and who has a life-or-death battle with the first might actually be something that should be included in, you know, the book.
(In comparison, Snape's Luff for Lily is now his entire personality.)

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

"And man oh man, the HP book-burning Christian Right is gonna be PISSED."
Yeah, it isn't like she was ever going to win them over anyway, and I did think it was pretty much implied in the book. So at least THIS time she was confirming something in an interview that we all kind of knew. As apposed to so many other interviews where she told things about what happened in the fight and how people died, which were not hinted at in the book at all (I have not forgiven her for killing my favorite characters without letting them at least have a moment, even just an after the fact moment of someone who saw them fighting).

sigh

[ackonrad.livejournal.com]

YOU LIKE AND YOU'RE HAPPY AND OMG THANKS GOD THERE IS YOU WHO WANTS TO JUST ENJOY THE INFORMATION WITHOUT GETTING PISSED OFF OVER IT NOT BEING SAID IN THE BOOKS!

If there is something that will get me back to HP fanfiction, it will be Dumbledore/Grindelwald epic fic, really.

♥ ♥ ♥

[didi75.livejournal.com]

I agree with you! I mean, it would have been great to see it in the books, but it was sort of implied and I'm really glad she chose to say it in such a huge forum.

We don't really know what she intended, or if this was part of the overall story from the moment she mentioned Dumbledore's battle with Grindewald. We'll never really know, so why insist one way or another? I think it's better late than never! Plus, these books are going to be around FOREVER, and every generation of kids is now going to read them with this in mind. I think that matters.

I wonder if this bit of info will make it into the HP encyclopedia? That will surely make it canon.

[nemesister.livejournal.com]

YES YES YES, I have already seen at least one post from a depressed homophobe. This is all sorts of awesome.

I said Albus/Gellert was obvious in canon and I'm sure as not going to change my mind now. There is some little feeling of regret that if it was a huge tragic love story it could have been spelled out more in the book, but mostly there is euphoria. And I don't think that Dumbles' gayness in itself would have needed to be spelled out more. He just was.