So, I read this article: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2196020,00.html today, and have positively been in a tizzy ever since. Yes, people, I'm blogging about something other than "Supernatural" for a change. I do have other fandoms, and as many of you know, HP is one of my other *big* ones... (and you know how much I can analogize between them).

So, the news that Dumbledore is (was) gay and had been in love with Grindelwald has pretty much made my day, week, month, and yes, year!! THANK YOU!! JK Rowling!!! You totally rock!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart as a fan of Harry Potter for 8 years now, I feel positively floored, thrilled, and completely validated by this revelation. I've always loved Harry Potter and will forever be grateful to my mom for convincing me to read The Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's Stone depending on where you're from) when I was pulling a stubborn "I'm a college student and that book's for kids" rant. But for all Harry Potter's brilliant critique of racism, fascism, fundamentalism, authoritarian government, the "war on terror" and just about everything else (yes, I'm being a wee bit political, please don't bite), I always felt like her world was a little--flat--in that there apparently weren't any gay characters--or at least any openly gay characters--to be seen. On many levels I understood. Ok, commercially I completely understood. Harry Potter was always under attack from fundamentalists. It was a HUGE commercial enterprise. It was geared at young children (at least to start) and there was a lot of angst, violence, darkness, and other mature themes that could be a hard enough sell. But the same part of me that *hates* that the presence of gay people or *gasp* same-sex romance gets treated as something more taboo and mature than just "regular" people or romance was always hurt that JK Rowling's world seemed to be lacking in queer characters (much like Gene Roddenberry's semi-utopian vision of humanity was for a very long time relatively straights-only... or at least it seemed that way). So, understand the reasons as I might, the little gay girl in me just always felt a little left out of Harry Potter's world. I mean I had my suspicions about some of the characters (and still do), but I just figured that we were going to have to settle for a Harry Potter Universe in which gay people hopefully existed, but just didn't get mentioned.

But no!! I was wrong, an now thanks to JK Rowling's braveness in addressing a crowd of fans at Carnegie Hall, we find out that Dumbledore, our beloved, tragic hero and wise teacher, was actually gay all along!! What first seems to be an "oh how cool," soon shows itself to be a major revelation. Harry Potter is the best selling, most-read set of fiction in the world and one of the major characters, already beloved to tens of millions is and has been gay all along. It shouldn't be a big deal, because Dumbledore's still the same character he always was, but it is because of his importance to the world and the exposure of so many people of all ages, genders, races, religions, and backgrounds to him. Dumbledore is a flawed and imperfect, yet still good character who has served as a beloved role model and teacher, not only to the characters in the HPverse, but to a generation of readers as well. And now we all know that he was gay I'm so giddy and feel so validated I'm lightheaded. I haven't felt this un-marginalized by anything in the mainstream media since I saw the first X-Men movie... and even that was dealing with homophobia by proxy (much like JK Rowling herself did with Remus Lupin, the ostracized, harassed werewolf). This is the real thing.

While the audience's reception of the news was overwhelmingly positive, I'm sure there will be some out there that will renew the vigilance and vigor with which they attack the Harry Potter books and there will probably be a few sad stories of parents out there who are waiting until their children are older to read the series (or finish the series) or who have not yet read the seventh book, or who were planning to introduce their future children to the 'verse who will choose not to or even possibly lash out in disgust, all because Dumbledore's gay But right now I don't really care. It would be cool if that was just my pessimism. But anyway, thank you JK Rowling for being brave and answering truthfully. And hell, now that we know Dumbledore was in love with Grindelwald, it makes sooooooo much stuff in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the entire series, even, make a lot more sense. It makes Dumbledore more tragic and braver and more human. And for that, I am very grateful. Thank you again, JK Rowling, from the bottom of my heart.