http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071020/ts_nm/rowling_dc

NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.K. Rowling has outed one of the main characters of her best-selling Harry Potter series, telling fans in New York that the wizard Albus Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts school, is gay.

Speaking at Carnegie Hall on Friday night in her first U.S. tour in seven years, Rowling confirmed what some fans had always suspected -- that she "always thought Dumbledore was gay," reported entertainment Web site E! Online.

Rowling said Dumbledore fell in love with the charming wizard Gellert Grindelwald but when Grindelwald turned out to be more interested in the dark arts than good, Dumbledore was "terribly let down" and went on to destroy his rival.

That love, she said, was Dumbledore's "great tragedy."

"Falling in love can blind us to an extent," she said.

The audience reportedly fell silent after the admission -- then erupted into applause.

Rowling, 42, said if she had known that would be the response, she would have revealed her thoughts on Dumbledore earlier.

Fans on the top Potter fan site TheLeakyCauldron.org (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org) were divided on the news, some uncertain Rowling wasn't going to backtrack on the announcement, others saying it was unnecessary, and some welcoming the extra information on Dumbledore.

"This is even more awesome because it adds another layer to Dumbledore's character, which is already so rich and complicated. I hope he got over Grindlevald (sic) and fell in love again," wrote Amanda.

Rowling said she had read through a script for the movie adaptation of the sixth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and corrected a passage in which Dumbledore was reminiscing about past loves by crossing it out and scrawling "Dumbledore is gay" over it.

Rowling, a mother of three, is now estimated to be worth $1.12 billion, making her the first dollar-billionaire author.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" -- the seventh and final book in the boy wizard series -- became the fastest-selling book in history when it was released in July.

More than 11 million copies were sold in the first 24 hours in the United States and Britain

what's strange is that most of the Harry Potter fans i know ARE Christian. there are alot Christian conservative types in my (dreadful) ROTC class that read Harry Potter.

Interesting...  I had certain suspicions of this, but good for Rowling.  I'm glad the response she got was positive.

Granted, Sioux brings up a good point.  I happen to know a lot of conservative Christians that are fans of the series as well.  Along with this, there had already been a major resistance put up by the Religious Right saying that the books promoted witchcraft (which is about the dumbest protest I've ever heard).  Still, now that a gay character is present in the series, this is unfortunately ammo for this same group.

Hopefully, the more intelligent potential readers will come to appreciate Rowling's entertaining writing style and won't close their minds just because of something as trivial as a character being gay.

I really would like J.K. Rowling to write a supplement to the Harry Potter series. After the last book came out, there were a lot things that she left up in the air which the reader asking, "What happen to....?" She eased many questions (including mine) when she said this (the following is from Wikipedia:

In an interview, online chat,, and Wizard of the Month section of her website, Rowling gave additional information on the futures of the main characters that she chose not to include in the epilogue of the book. She stated that:

    * Harry becomes an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, and is later appointed head of the department. He keeps Sirius's motorcycle, which Arthur Weasley repaired for him, but he can no longer speak Parseltongue after Voldemort's soul fragment inside him was destroyed.
    * Ginny Weasley plays for the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team for a time, leaves to establish a family with Harry and later becomes the lead Quidditch correspondent for the Daily Prophet.
    * Ron Weasley works at George's store for a time, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, then joins Harry as an Auror.
    * Hermione finds her parents in Australia and removes the memory modification charm she put on them. She initially works for the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, greatly improving life for house elves and their ilk. She later moves to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and assists in eradicating oppressive, pro-pureblood laws.

Rowling also explained the fates of several secondary characters:

    * George Weasley continues his successful joke shop and names his first child Fred, in memory of his late twin brother.
    * Luna Lovegood searches the world for odd and unique creatures. She eventually marries Rolf, a grandson of the famed naturalist, Newt Scamander. Her father's publication, The Quibbler, has returned to its usual condition of "advanced lunacy" and is appreciated for its unintentional humour.
    * Firenze is welcomed back into his herd, who finally acknowledge the virtue of his pro-human leanings.
    * Dolores Umbridge is arrested, interrogated, and imprisoned for crimes against Muggle-borns.

There have been transformations in the wider wizarding world:

    * Kingsley Shacklebolt is the permanent Minister for Magic, with Percy Weasley working under him as a high official. Among the reforms introduced by Shacklebolt, Azkaban no longer uses Dementors. Consequently, the world is now a "much sunnier place". Harry, Ron, and Hermione have also been instrumental in reforming the Ministry.
    * At Hogwarts, Slytherin House has become more diluted and is no longer the pureblood bastion it once was, although its dark reputation lingers.
    * Voldemort's jinx on the Defence Against the Dark Arts (DADA) position is broken with his death. There is now a permanent DADA teacher.
    * A portrait of Snape, who briefly served as Hogwarts Headmaster, does not appear in the headmaster's office as he abandoned his post. Harry intends to lobby for the addition of Snape's portrait, and publicly reveals Snape's steadfastness.




Cat