A brief comment

J.K. Rowling has declared Albus Dumbledore gay. In a press conference earlier this week, she revealed that Dumbledore was attracted to Grindlewald, a wizard whose powers, at their peak, were comparable to Dumbledore's own.

I'm offended by this pronouncement, not because I'm homophobic (I'm not), but because it appears to be a cynical attempt to gain media attention and redirect it towards the books. Never has the sexual preference of any character in the series been relevant; in fact, one could perhaps point toward the absence of sex in the books as evidence toward the (obviously absurd) assumption that everyone in the series is homosexual.

Even more ridiculous is the gay community's reaction to the announcement. Peter Tatchell, a gay activist of some repute, had this to say, 'But I am disappointed that she did not make Dumbledore's sexuality explicit in the Harry Potter book. Making it obvious would have sent a much more powerful message of understanding and acceptance.'

Hardly that. The books are not exercises in twenty-first century sexual liberation, with commentary on society's inability to accept homosexuals. In fact, I would argue that any such attempt would have distracted from the thematic elements of the story while being jarring and pretentious. Whatever her other literary merits, J.K. Rowling is no explorer of the human condition.

No, the only explanation is that Ms. Rowling, after all her superhuman accomplishments of the past few years, is now displaying disturbing signs of humanity.