A few years ago during a reading of Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling revealed to all of her fans know
that one of her most beloved characters, Albus Dumbledore, was gay. This didn’t
affect anyone who had already read the books because Dumbledore was such a
lovable character and a favorite to many readers, including myself. Of the
people who hadn’t read the series, it probably had the greatest effect on the
gay community (now that the best character in one of the most popular series of
all time was a homosexual).
Let me explain why I don’t care about J.K.
Rowling’s announcement, and why you shouldn’t either. Rowling said that it was
apparent in the books that Dumbledore had been a homosexual all along… What?
There was not a single line in the book that even remotely suggested that
Dumbledore was gay. It’s evident that Rowling’s decision to make Dumbledore gay
was simply an attempt to gain publicity from the gay community, and I’m sure it
worked to some extent. It didn’t really affect the future of Harry Potter
because Rowling had finished writing all the books and Dumbledore’s sexual
orientation was meaningless.
Just recently, DC Comics announced that one
of their “iconic” characters was coming out of the closet. Evidently, this is
an attempt to gain publicity in the same way J.K. Rowling did, and with U.S.
President Barrack Obama recently stating that he supports gay marriage, there is no better
time for DC to convert one of their lead males to the other side. But is it a
good idea? Will it generate publicity in the same way Harry Potter did? I don’t
think so, unless DC chooses the right character.
