Dumbledore..... is gay?

POSTED BY: gorramgroupie
UPDATED: Saturday, November 17, 2007 07:39
VIEWED: 8346
PAGE 2 of 4

PREV PAGE 1 2 3 4 NEXT PAGE

PEGLEG

Sunday, October 21, 2007 10:53 PM

I think I missed something......

When was he gay?

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!

SAB39

Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hoperules:
Well, I guess you forgot that Dumbledore explained the story to Harry after Harry "died".

I remember that he explained things, but I don't remember him saying anything that contradicted the theory that he was blinded to Grindelwald's flaws by love, or saying anything at all to confirm the theory that he was himself anti-muggle at any time.

Quote:
Originally posted by Hoperules:
It has been my observation that, unfortunately, people can often blame an entire group for the offenses of a few individuals in that group. Even basically good people sometimes do this. It is easy for me to imagine a sad angry young man like Dumbledore falling into this trap and blaming muggles for destroying his family and his life.

That would be a plausible explanation, but it's no more spelled out in the book than his loving Grindelwald is. I stand by my claim that the only person in the book who actually said that is Rita (and Ron's crotchety old aunt who believed her).

So as far as I'm concerned we have one speculative theory vying against another. In favor of the "Dumbledore loved Grindelwald" theory is the fact that J.K.Rowling says that that's what happened. In favor of the other theory is Rita Skeeter saying it, and the fact that you think being gay is icky.

Quote:
Originally posted by Hoperules:
No, I do not find it "icky" when I see my grandparents together. However, I did not visualize them having sex either. When society makes a big deal out of a person's or character's sexual orientation, I tend to imagine that person or character actually having sex which, in Dumbledore's case, is a place I don't want to go. I'm just being honest here, no offense intended.

I'd venture to suggest that this is YOUR problem, not Dumbledore's or J.K.Rowling's, or even "society's". I still have some hangups about homosexuality myself (e.g., the idea of people incorrectly assuming I am gay bothers me more than it ought) but I've never had the problem of automatically thinking of people having sex just because they're gay. Who you fall in love with is no more a sexual thing if the person is the same gender than if it's the opposite gender. I like Dumbledore much more as a person who loved, than as a person who never did.

HOPERULES

Monday, October 22, 2007 12:23 AM

I did not say it say it was anyone else's problem nor is it mine. It is my understanding that when someone says they are gay it means they want to have sex with other people of the same sex and when they say they are straight it means they want have sex with other people of the opposite sex. It may or may not have anything to do with love in either case. Therefore, when someone is identified as gay or straight I tend to think about that person having sex (I am not apologizing for that by the way). I think making a big deal out of who a person wants to have sex with takes the focus off their more important qualities.

Also, I think falling in love is always partially a sexual thing whether a person is straight or gay. Generally, people fall in love with people that they find sexually attractive. That is part of the fun!!!

Whether or not Dumblebore is gay, I don't think there is any question that HE LOVED. He certainly loved Harry, the students and teachers of Hogwarts, and all that was good and kind in the world Ms. Rowlings created.

May have been on the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one.

HOPERULES

Monday, October 22, 2007 12:59 AM

Oh, by the way, I originally said I found the idea of Dumbledore having sex generally was kind of weird. You first mentioned the word "icky" when discussing grandparents and sex. I NEVER SAID being gay is icky and I do NOT I think it.

May have been on the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one.

SASSALICIOUS

Monday, October 22, 2007 4:22 AM

It wasn't that surprising and it kind of made sense. I also get that it wasn't directly addressed in the books because it wasn't directly relevant.

However, I seem to recall reading that JK Rowling is going to write some sort of anthology-esque book that goes deeper into the histories of the characters . . .perhaps equivalent to the appendix in Lord of the Rings. If that's true, it was necessary to "out" Dumbledore and she did it in response to the writer/director on the most recent movie. This person was going to write something with a reference to a woman that Dumbledore had a thing with and that wouldn't jive with her universe if he's revealed as gay in the background book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wisconsin sucks. I don't want to be here.

~Forsaken Forever

AURAPTOR

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 10:13 AM

I think it's a cheap stunt by Rowling, and I'll not think of it legitimate as being part of the story. She didn't think it worth while to make it part of her series, so why even make an issue of it now ?

I think it's just another attempt to rip off Tolkien, by ripping off the Peter Jackson's movie adaptation, to be more exact. Ian McKellen is gay, and he played the lead wizard character , Gandalf. Gandalf wasn't even human, if you follow your Tolkien lore, but that's besides the point. I think Rowling is simply taking a blind stab at getting more accepted by the writing community by pulling this post facto "admission" .

If she were true to here characters and her writing ability, she'd have made Dumbledore's status known at some time during the story.

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

BULLET0IN0THE0BRAINPAN0SQUISH

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:12 AM

Hmm. I have to disagree with that one. Rowling is one of the most popular writers of our time. I don't think she needs acceptance. I doubt that the writing community gives a rat's ass on whether one of her characters is gay or not. She 'outed' Dumbledore in response to someone asking about Dumbledore's love life. And like for most writers, these characters are real people for Rowling. They had pasts, histories, quirks, and probably anecdotes that don't have anything to do with Harry Potter's storyline. It just so happened that that particular characteristic had nothing to do with the story, but it doesn't make it less of a truth of Dumbledore's life. Just like the fact that Ian McKellen is gay, as AURaptor pointed out. It's something that is true, but it's beside the point.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I don't know what I'm saying. I never know what I'm saying.... -River Tam, Serenity (2005)

STORYMARK

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 3:02 PM

No one has mentioned that the only reason this came up, is that when they had Rowling review the script for the 6th movie, there was refrence to a woman that Dumbledore used to "fancy". She simply corrected them, and had them change that bit in the script. It did come up at a press confrence, but not at her instigation. She didn't bring it up as the press confrence untill asked about it.

I think it's hilariouse that some are so homo-phobic that they refuse to accept the creator of the character's word on their own character....

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

REGINAROADIE

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 3:27 PM

Completely agree with you Oenone. The reason it was never brought up in the books is because ultimately, it's one thing about his character that's completely meaningless in terms of the character's place in the overall story.

Novelists do this all the time with their characters in that they write complete backstories and pretty much whole other stories of the characters of their latest novels before writing the actual novel. J.D. Salinger did it, and I'm sure J.K. did it with the HARRY POTTER books. As filled to the brim the books are with hundreds of characters and places and details that enrich the Potter universe, I'm sure there's just as much to it that was left out for various reasons. Aside from him and Grindewald, ultimately the sexual orientation of Dumbledore does little in informing us of his relationship with Harry, his role as Headmaster of Hogwarts and the only wizard who saw Voldemort for who he was and wouldn't quake in his robes when he saw him or heard his name. He's still one of the most respected and bad-ass characters in fantasy literature, so what does it matter if he preferred men over women?

Also, I think this is a great thing in terms of kids learning to be more accepting of the gay community. If one of the characters in the stories that were a huge part of their childhood turned out to be gay and not in the stereotypical way but in a strong, respectable and dignified way, then that would make them less homophobic and more accepting of people's different sexual orientation. It's on the same level as tweens watching Willow on Buffy.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

MSG

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 3:36 PM

I'm thinking it's great, though I agree that I'd rather not think about his sex life( kind of like thinking about your grandpa's sex life) but I think knowing the background is great...It's kind of sweet and explains a lot about why he was so easily fooled.

You can't rush science, Gibbs! You can yell at it and scream at it, but you can't rush it. "- Abby Sciuto

PREV PAGE 1 2 3 4 NEXT PAGE