It was announced this week that Professor Dumbledore from the beloved Harry Potter series is a homosexual. This is great news -- For the gay community! For the rest of us, this is a tragic discovery.
Many people- straight and gay -are very upset about this news. I think its obvious why the straight community is mad. A role model, a child's icon is suddenly a drastically different person. The gay community (I'm speculating here) is upset because of the practically non-existent prescense this very relative (to them) piece of information is to the story.
J. K. Rowling escapes the critism and resentment of this colorful addition to her popular series by saying that Dumbledore's sexual preference had nothing to do with the context of the story. (I agree.) As much as we all want to know everything about the world of Harry Potter, there are things that aren't important. Knowing that Dumbledore was gay would only cause 14 year old boys to laugh and cause orthodox Christians to dislike the books even more than they already do. Everyone else would be completely indifferent. But mostly just because it wouldn't change the story. I think Rowling left it out because she didn't want people to read into anything involving Dumbledore's sexual orientation because it would detract from the story. And it would distracting because being gay is wrong and the controversies surrounding living an alternative lifestyle are rampant in our society. (The power that the gay community- one of the smallest minorities in our country- possess is scary.)
My real personal opinion is that this is something to drag out the Harry Potter craze for a little while longer. That's what she said. Or he said.
4 comments:
What the crap?
i hate that this was even called news. and i like your comment on the civil war...
So what if he's gay?? He's still Dumbledore!! I know homosexuality is wrong, but I don't think it has to define a person. This is not a TRAGIC discovery, it's just a new piece of information about a well-loved character. Does it change anything else about Dumbledore? NO. He's still a great guy (yes, I realize he is fictional, but he's still very real to me and thousands of readers). I really don't think being gay makes you less of a person. I DO think it's detrimental to your eternal salvation--and that is VERY serious--but how does it make someone a BAD person??
Of course, Dumbledore is still a good guy. Besides Harry, he is THE good guy in the series. Lots of good people are gay, but what they do is not good. Your actions and thoughts make you the person you are. And being gay is wrong, and it is sad that we have to look up to someone in such a high regard that has come out of the closet post-series. I like Dumbledore and most of the things he has done, but being gay uncovers a side of him I do not agree with.
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