Is That a Wand in Your Pocket?
Human rights are extremely important. People should be treated equally no matter their race, colour, language, creed, socio-economic position, gender, and dare I say it? – sexuality. We’ve had this beaten into us for the last generation. Guess what, there are actually people who grow up in homes where they were taught to accept people because they were people. I grew up in a home like that, and I would be so bold as to say my children are being taught in a home like that as well. These special add-ons don’t make them any less of a person. That seems like common sense to me.
There are times, however, when people feel they need to make their ‘minority’ an obvious character trait. The media has been doing an over-the-top job of trying to include people from all walks of life. The token gay character in nearly every television show for example. The latest ridiculous chapter in this story belongs to J.K Rowling, who very recently announced that the beloved Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Albus Dumbledore – is gay. In a recent book signing tour at Carnegie Hall in New York, a reader asked if Dumbledore ever found love. Rowling responded that she always thought of Dumbledore as gay. Well, I suppose she is indeed the author, and the characters are her creations. But how can an old single man’s sexuality possibly be important to a novel series of young wizards and witches?
Before you bother writing a comment about how I’m too conservative, right-wing, close-minded, homophobic, etc, etc, stop. Read this blog post again. Then tell me how making Dumbledore gay can possibly add to the story of Harry Potter. I’ll tell you how it can take away from the story. Dumbledore is a hero, leader, inspirer, teacher and many people’s favourite character. Him being gay doesn’t change those things. Have characters. Period. If they happen to be gay I think the world can handle that. Don’t have gay characters.
I still like Dumbledore. He’s still a hero of the series. I just find discussing or thinking about his sexuality in the context of a children’s novel series is unnecessary and inappropriate.
Yeah. I read about that and just didn’t understand what possible way this “announcement” has added to the stories (er..movies as I have not read the books). I could care less if he’s gay. Wouldn’t change my opinion on the characters OR the stories, which I REALLY enjoy…I just didn’t see any value except for shock value as she knows there are some “conservatives” who have made a big deal about the magic/wizardry (read: occult) ideals that the stories develop…some people just have nothing better to do. Maybe she was bored.
As far as what is fit for the children to see or not has become quite confusing now…Ok I’m not that old but my 10 year old li’l sister who’s 12 years my junior is a lot more wise and knowlegeable in things I never was…cause TV and internet
Somethings are good, like the children depending on their own to learn a lot but as I see, even the cartoons today often teach alternate morals and ethics, for example being the class rebel makes you popular, scantily dressed teachers over whom little boys drool, more stress on fun and frolic than goals and achievements etc etc
Hehe now I may be sounding like a conservative here but I guess you are right in stating that some things we should let them be…rather than pinpoint to make them innecessarily marked
P.S. Haven’t read Harry Potter series myself but many of my friends are crazy about it too…Somethings are universal