J.K. Rowling has just informed us that one of the most beloved fictional characters of our time is gay. I'm sure that the whackos who already hate the Potter books because they teach tolerance towards witches are having proper conniptions.

Well, Rowling did describe Grindelwald as very handsome and said that their friendship was very close. As one character put it, they "got on like a caldron on fire." Perhaps I shoulda seen it.

What I really appreciated about all this is how casually Rowling stated it. No big announcement (tho we are making it big now). Simply as an answer to a question. Clearly she knew his sexual orientation and it influenced the story she wove, even if she didn't think it necessary to spell it out for us. It makes me wonder how many layers of complexity the other characters have as well that we'll never know.

I had never given much thought to Albus' sexual orientation. I had passingly wondered about McGonigal's personal life because I really like her and want her to be happy. And from her I generalized to the other professors. Did they hang out in the faculty lounge? Talk smack about each other? Engage in secret and ultimately failed romances? Experience awkward moments afterwards in the faculty lounge? Inquiring minds want to know!! Since such information was not forthcoming, I had to content myself with the rationalization that the story is told (mostly) from Harry's point of view, and students don't care about the personal lives of their teachers.

But while I had wondered about the other faculty, I never thought about Dumbledore's personal life. He was in another league. And I guess I kinda thought he had no personal life. I guess I kinda thought he was functionally asexual. But we all know that sexual orientation is independent of sexual activity. And what bothers me about myself in all this is realizing... in not giving much thought to it I had essentially assumed he was straight.