Dumbledore is gay

I read on the BBC website yesterday that J.K.Rowling has opened the closet and pulled Dumbledore out.

Dad also discovered this, and we had a laugh about it when he and mum came over yesterday to see my sister and the developments in the kitchen. In what sense can a fictional character be gay? Does it even matter if this is not revealed in the text? In what sense is it ‘true’? It goes to show what power J.K.Rowling really has. The books are written, but the revelations continue. Only the author may reveal new things. Must these things be fore-known? I can see this getting all theological, if I don’t watch out!

Which other fictional characters might we also now discover are gay? If a certain percentage of the population are, then maybe there aren’t enough. Perhaps characters in childrens’ books were always going to grow up to be gay (I have always been slightly concerned about Piglet, myself) or side-kicks loyal to their heroes. If the author is dead, can we even speculate? Is it fair to do to fictional characters what so many people do to single people and question their sexuality? How would the characters feel? But then, they don’t have feelings, do they? So it doesn’t matter. Unless they have feelings within the fictional realm towards others. Which we may not know, need to know or be able to do anything with.

I predict that ‘Dumbledore’ will become a popular insult against people of any age who are thought to be gay (and all people in schools, for that matter). Which doesn’t do J.K.Rowling any good. Or gay people.

But mostly I feel for poor old Albus, bless him. Most unfair the way this has all come out.