BRIEF CASE: Magically Gay
J K Rowling’s recent announcement that Albus Dumbledore, one of the most beloved characters in the blockbuster Harry Potter series, was gay has created an uproar in the English-speaking world. While many have hailed the announcement, it has given a fillip to Christian Evangelists who decried the books as instruments of Satan. Others have criticised Dumbledore’s outing as editorialising after the fact, and that if Rowling really wanted to make a point about homosexuality, she should’ve done so in the books. But Rowling has been diligent in portraying all manner of characters in her narrative, be it ethnicity, culture, race or physical appeal.
Indeed, it would’ve been a remarkable omission if none of her characters were homosexual. In a world where gay rights are still a matter of intense debate, to have a character as well-loved and admired as Dumbledore be revealed as gay is indeed a Big Deal. The Harry Potter series has been a publishing phenomenon, with almost half a billion books sold to date. The movies have done extraordinarily well at the box office, earning $4.5 billion worldwide. As far as popular culture goes, it doesn’t get more mainstream than Harry Potter.
The most important aspect of the outing is Dumbledore’s character. Not only does his orientation help us understand him better, particularly with regard to his relationship with Grindelwald, but it also makes homosexuality a footnote, the way it should be. Characters don’t go shouting their straightness from the rooftops, and the understated nature of this revelation does much to move away from enforcing what is called a ‘heteronormative’ view, that being heterosexual is normal. Being gay didn’t stop Dumbledore from becoming the most powerful wizard in the world, or from discharging his responsibilities as headmaster of a premier school or heading various associations. He is, in the Potterverse, a force for the light, a symbol of hope and a champion of the underdog.
Harry Potter’s sheer visibility means that most Dumbledore fans will become aware of his orientation. Many parents have taken up cudgels at the thought of the conversation they will have to have with their children. But because Dumbledore is without doubt a heroic figure, the mentor to the chosen one, being gay will have to be OK.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com