J.K. Rowling Thinks Being Gay is Edgy... And Why That is So Far from OK

Before I start, yes, this is an incredibly old story. Like... Ancient Sumerian old... and if anyone has already heard the arguments I'm about to make, I apologize for the redundancy. When J.K. Rowling held a press conference in 2007, a few months after the the Harry Potter series had ended, just to announce that the wise and powerful mentor-figure Albus Dumbledore was gay, I had no idea what to think. I thought it was cool at first, especially since Dumbledore, whose past romances were never revealed in any of the books, didn't fit the stereotypical "gay" mold that society often associates with a homosexual man. He didn't wear pink, or prance around in that way most people assume gay people do, he didn't even wear shirt's with the top two buttons undone to expose his hairy man chest. He was just him. I didn't think much of the whole thing since then, but my overall opinion was that it was a good thing. After a long conversation with a friend of mine this morning, I'm taking back that opinion.

Before I go on I should mention that I have only seen the movie iterations of the story, and while I wouldn't call myself a super fan, I loved them and their stories. Also, I can get passionate about pretty much anything, so don't think that my opinions aren't coming from the heart.

My first problem with the announcement was that it was an announcement. This makes me suspect it was something she decided on out of the blue, then thought "Oh! I should make a big fuss about it, too!" Lady had seven books to at least hint at his sexuality, so if it was something that was important in crafting the character, I have a hard time believing she wouldn't have taken the opportunity. Even his with his apparent asexuality, she still could have made it clear that, at a time, he was in love, possibly through one of his more personal conversations with Harry (Instead she just told a bunch of people that he had a hubby once.) Maybe Voldemort could have killed him, or turned him. It would have added so much to Dumbledore as a character (Not that he was lacking in depth.)

My second issue was that it needed to be announced at all. There were so many tools Rowling could have used to hint at Dumbledore's romantic endeavors without ever stating them. He could have seen his beau through the mirror that shows your desires (Honestly... not a Potterhead by any means) Another character could have said something cryptic, or many characters could have made several cryptic remarks that, once the series ended, the Potterheads of the internet could have pieced together to realize Dumbledore's preference on their own.

Of course, a lot of this is assuming she had the idea in her head from the start, which I don't believe at all. I've seen people say that his dress style is evidence of Dumbledore's sexuality (He wears loud patterns and colors,) but that's very stereotypical and kind of ignorant. I honestly think this was a half-assed attempt by Rowling to appeal to her gay fans, as well as introduce an element to Dumbledore that is, sadly, considered "edgy" in the entertainment industry. Coming from someone who has pursued everything form the valley girl to the biceps-heavy Adonis, I think she failed on both ends. Next time, maybe Rowling should have her heart behind it.