Pantagraph.com | Free Time | J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character as gay

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Love thy neighbor(yet again) wrote on Feb 29, 2008 9:20 PM:

" By the way, to "appauling" God loves everbody, it says so in the Bible. You might want to read a little more carefully next time. Isn't God loves us all the main focus of children's bible classes, or have you forgotten? Go ahead, call me sinful or provocative. And gay isn't a bad word, it used to mean happy. And as for any of you who think nasty things at me go ahead and say it. I've heard most of it before and I believe you deserve a freedom of speech too. Even if the response you get to a FICTIONAL character being gay is "appauling" and you want to ban their freedom of speech by banning their book. Hun, there are real gay people out there in our soceity... "

Love thy neighbor wrote on Feb 29, 2008 4:02 PM:

" Who really cares? He's still an excellent character and J. K. Rowling is an excellent author! People speaking about this book series being evil are acting self-absorbed. I'm a Christian and I love this series. Isn't the message about loving thy neighbor? When I have children I'll let them read this series and other books that are censored because I want them to know about the world, not be sheltered from things they might come across. Freedom of speech is empowering. Why do we still have censorship? Ignnorance, probably... "

A wrote on Oct 31, 2007 2:50 AM:

" You're all incredibly petty and small-minded people. "

#] wrote on Oct 27, 2007 1:23 PM:

" hey!! ms. rowling doing a good job.. she's answering a question about her story.. no doubt at all.. if she thinks she's doing a right thing, go on.. ms. rowling, we always be behind your back.. "

WTF!?!?! wrote on Oct 25, 2007 8:34 PM:

" That ruined the whole stories! Damnit "

Saluki wrote on Oct 24, 2007 8:28 AM:

" I thought he appeared to have a wide stance and was toe tapping frequently. "

How... wrote on Oct 24, 2007 5:33 AM:

" is he gay. He doesn't have nice skin. He doesn't shave. He doesn't wear nice clothes. I don't get it. What kind of car does he drive? And, where does he work? I'm totally at awe in this one. I could have been in the locker room changing next to this guy and never known...No lisp, no man purse, nothin'. "

Pity Ms. Rowling wrote on Oct 23, 2007 9:03 PM:

" Somewhere in England, she is sobbing because some arch-conservatives in Bloomington don't like her. Her great wealth and international acclaim are as nothing for the villagers with pitchforks and torches. "

to Each generation wrote on Oct 23, 2007 4:30 PM:

" I couldn't agree more. If no one criticizes your work, that means no one cares. You will never please all the people all the time, so there is no point trying to ingratiate yourself with people who will only stab you in the back at the first opportunity. "

Each generation wrote on Oct 23, 2007 9:45 AM:

" of young readers has their loved stories and authors. Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, the E.B. White stories, the Maguerite Henry horse tales, the Little House on the Prairie series, Judy Blume, and so on and so on... As a volunteer librarian I have enjoyed seeing each new phase of books. In my view the Potter series is a wonderfully-written fantastic series that has made a huge positive impact on young people. Criticizm is expected. All who have suceeded eventually are put down and ridiculed and questioned for it. For some people doing so is simply unavoidable- like picking a scab, or poking at a dead frog with a stick.... "

RE: "X wrote on Oct 23, 2007 8:49 AM:" wrote on Oct 23, 2007 9:39 AM:

" Dude- MOST authors are poor until their work is discovered by the masses and becomes hugely popular. Like many types of artists, some authors, like Dickens actually remained poor their whole lives and never saw their work become hugely famous and never saw any of the MILLIONS their works rake-in today. Dickens actually was sent to a debtor's prison he was so poor and in debt. The Harry Potter books reach a lot of readers and as you know are hugely popular the world over. Rowling is now richer than the Queen of England. I don't think any amount of belly-aching you can do can compare in relativity to that. You likely only WISH of having something about you so sought after that you could reach a few folks- and let me tell you, if the post you offer here is any indication- you've got a ways to go! "

X wrote on Oct 23, 2007 8:49 AM:

" Potter Smotter. I will never read a drop one of any of these books. Written on a fifth grade level, it kills me that for most adults, this series is what most will read and then never touch a more worthwhile book. I'm glad she's on her last book. She's racked enough money in on such a farce of a story line. Boo hoo, I once was poor and created a little tale to tell my child and then one day, boom! A good editor comes along and discovers me and I'm poor no more! Who care if her character is gay? Is that a ploy to keep the masses coming? "

Rowlings wrote on Oct 23, 2007 6:49 AM:

" is your typical poor person who has become rich to quick and has lost her mind. This tends to happen when you get so much media coverage and have everyone around you kissing a$$ it makes you want to say or do something really stupid to get even more attention. I guess you become an attention junkie. "

Give me a "D"! wrote on Oct 22, 2007 9:17 PM:

" ...here-here for Dumbledore! "

Just don't say anything wrote on Oct 22, 2007 9:16 PM:

" ...to ruin the ending of book #7- I only just started it! "

These wrote on Oct 22, 2007 4:15 PM:

" are J.K. Rowlings characters. When she was writing im sure she gave each and everyone her own personal identity, even if it were never revealed in the books. If you spend years writing about something you form a personal relationship with it. If she wrote those books with the idea that dumbledore was Gay, that is her right, they are her characters. People need to chill out and get over the jealousy. She doesn't need to add drama to her characters. She is rolling in money because she came up with an insanely good story. Do you really think she did this just for publicity? Grow up losers. "

To other characters who were gay wrote on Oct 22, 2007 3:55 PM:

" At least when you compare Chewbacca, E.T. and Jesus, you are talking about 3 fictional characters. "

bounty hunter 17 wrote on Oct 22, 2007 2:58 PM:

" i think the series is great.... what we need to realize is that gays and lesbians are among what some people call "normal" people. we have gay actors( Nathan Lane) voice of "snowball" in stuart little, a popular childrens film. we have lesbian daytime talkshow hosts (ellen degenerous) so how can so many people be so mad at one person for creating a popular series. what's next... Nancy Drew is a lesbian?! if people would mind their own business and stop worrying about who they are going to say is gay next week, maybe the world could be brighter. there are more important things in the world than a "gay headmaster" it's not like YOUR kids go to hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry!!! GIVE IT A REST!!! "

wtf wrote on Oct 22, 2007 2:52 PM:

" that is realy stupid that he is "

More bad news! wrote on Oct 22, 2007 1:27 PM:

" Next thing you know, she'll say he's a Cubs fan. "

Appalling. wrote on Oct 22, 2007 10:59 AM:

" Isn't gay a bad word? Banned books week should include Harry Potter! God does not like gays, or magic, and this book supports both! What am I supposed to do with my children? They cannot read this trash! What was Dumbledore doing with his wand alone in his office?! I can only imagine....and draw the accompanying pictures. "

Harry Potter fan 2nd part wrote on Oct 22, 2007 10:35 AM:

" Her books carry very positive themes, not just of tolerance, but also of standing up for what you believe in, loyalty, and not falling to peer pressure. It has nothing to do with being anti-Christian; in fact, many of the plot lines are similar to the trials and tribulations facing Jesus. I find it unbelievable that many people are quick to accuse the Harry Potter series of promoting witchcraft and being anti-Christian, while they support C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series, which are just as full of the same thing. Both series are excellent, they have no agendas against the world. They are well-written, contain positive themes, and have gotten children reading. What more could you ask for? "

Harry Potter fan 1st part wrote on Oct 22, 2007 10:35 AM:

" People that have read the books and checked out her websites should not find it surprising that she reveals more about the characters in her interviews. If you go to her website or to other fan websites she has endorsed, you will see that she goes into a lot of background detail on each of her characters. She has even written a couple other "reference" books about the magical creatures in the series, etc. It's not about her making a proclamation to stay famous or in the headlines, she's just answering the question, like she does when other questions are asked. To herself and other Harry Potter fans, these characters are like family and everyone is always wanting more information. On her website and in her interviews, she reveals a lot of information about them, how she came to create them and the backgrounds to each of the characters that didn't quite make it into the books. "

Church Lady wrote on Oct 22, 2007 9:07 AM:

" We isn't the wizard now special? "

Darth Vader wrote on Oct 21, 2007 10:34 PM:

" Was clearly and obviously NOT a "people person". The chances of him being a closet Dem are even more remote than W ever winning a Nobel Prize. "

Who cares? wrote on Oct 21, 2007 9:42 PM:

" Last time I checked the bookstore stands........JK's books are in the "FICTION" section? C'mon people.....there are bigger issues to draw your attention. One being Iraq? "

Hmmm.... wrote on Oct 21, 2007 8:27 PM:

" I always wondered why Dumbledore always supported Severus Snape... must have had something to do with that Slythern serpant imagery. "

You know how I know you're gay? wrote on Oct 21, 2007 6:56 PM:

" Because you're worried about whether or not a fictional wizard was gay. "

Big Man wrote on Oct 21, 2007 6:54 PM:

" That's it!!!!!! No more reading these silly books for my kids. I believe we will start reading the Bible and only the bible from here on out. Now I must prepare for church. "

I'm a gay guy wrote on Oct 21, 2007 6:08 PM:

" who enjoys interesting characters. I especially enjoy reading about gay characters and gay heroes... but I just don't see the relevance of this. I dig the Potter books and movies A LOT and I think Rowling is an incredible talent, but I never once saw any sign that this was coming. What's the point if the character is gay, only deep within the mind of the author and never revealed at all in any way? It had no bearing on the story, obviously. Maybe he also wore purple underwear and often binged late-night on cold meatloaf and grape jelly sandwiches! We never knew this because it was never revealed as part of his world. So- no point, right? Is claiming he's gay just a trick-method to keep the story in the public eye? If so, maybe we can expect an Al Quaida connection down the road, or maybe he'll be found to be an Obama supporter soon too? Dear JKR- please don't get goofy on us. Your books and characters are wonderful enough on their own merit! We sure don't need to see Harry entering re-hab alongside of Britney and Paris, to keep him joyfully relevant. "

Other characters who were gay wrote on Oct 21, 2007 6:03 PM:

" E.T. he was gay. Never saw him with a girlfriend. How about Chewbacca. Gay. No girlfriend. Um.. Don't even think about labeling Jesus.. The point is, it is a fictional character (Dumbledore, not Jesus). Unless his sexuality had SOMETHING to do with the plot, he was not gay anymore than he was gay. This is ridiculous really. Did you know that Darth Vader was a democrat? How about James Bond, he was a member of the Labour Party. Rowling is definitely pandering. "

To: Star Trek wrote on Oct 21, 2007 6:00 PM:

" the thing is, no one ever announced Star Trek, Rocky, Jason, Freddy and the rest was finished, finite. J.K. Rowling announcing that there would be no Harry Potter was a tall proclomation, which she will not be able to live up to. A stand by my earlier comment that she's a one-trick pony. Lets see how her next Two non-harry potter books hold up. The first one (a detective mystery) will cause a lot of interest, be massively panned. Will she even attempt a second book before reverted to the "Been there" "done that" world of Harry Potter, a place she vowed not to revisit? Taking wagers now... "

Balanced wrote on Oct 21, 2007 5:50 PM:

" The above statements may be true, but could it not also be just as she said- The director was going to take poetic licence with Dumbledore, raising the issue? Perhaps, once we've all written seven internationally bestselling novels we can judge, but honestly, to criticise her writing prowess on such a small matter seems harsh and unfair. Personally, I believe it's wonderful. The books always had a strong tolerance message for me, and this is just another aspect of that. Further, from what we know of her approach to authoring, she always maps out her characters and their respective story lines, from the beginning of her writing she new the ultimate conclusion and her characters intimately. Also, perhaps there was no overt hinting, because books with prominent gay characters tend to become stereotyped or black-listed, bearing that in mind, reluctance is understandable. At this point, I would have to say that J.K is the authority on these things, they are HER characters, so if anyone is likely to know such things, I would imagine it to be her. As I've said, the afore mentioned comments may be equally correct- I'm just not sure it's right to judge so readily. "

jj wrote on Oct 21, 2007 5:07 PM:

" It's a fantasy and FICTION. I read the book, Dumbledore was at a low in his life and looking for a friend. Not that it really matters. If he was, he was. But then again, if you're going to think so hard about it, he like hanging around kids. Oh my, BAN THE BOOKS. "

Star Trek? wrote on Oct 21, 2007 3:39 PM:

" New movie in the works. Rocky Balboa? Freddy Krueger? Jason? If You Think that seven books and seven movies is going to kill off Harry Potter, more fool you. Rowling is no has been just yet and she has the money to do whatever she wants. "

WTF wrote on Oct 21, 2007 2:36 PM:

" You can say whatever you want now that the series is over. There was no hint of htis in the books. She is just pandering. "

Its Time wrote on Oct 21, 2007 1:07 PM:

" for Ms. Rowling to go away. Not a big deal if a character was gay or not. I read the books, and this character's sexuality had NOTHING to do with the story line. What is revealing here, is that Ms. Rowling is a one-trick pony (or 7 book pony) and is quickly coming to realize her station in life is not in the public spotlight (unless it involves a certain Harry Potter). This will be the first of many stories with her making the circuit still talking about the story she retired, living in the past, and then announcing a sequel, prequel, another book. If there was a Las Vegas for author's past their prime, she'd be headlining a show five nights a week. "

Stupid wrote on Oct 21, 2007 12:04 PM:

" The whole Harry Potter series is gay. "

Horror! wrote on Oct 21, 2007 11:27 AM:

" What's next? Gay florists? Gay actors? "

What wrote on Oct 21, 2007 10:57 AM:

" is the point about about revealing this now? I think she was the gay community to now go out and buy her books. Lame. "

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