After the release of the last book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling made the public distinction that the beloved character Albus Dumbledore was gay. Though it was never discussed in the books, Rowling was prompted by a fan to discuss Dumbledore's love life, as love is a major theme in the series. After explaining the truth about Dumbledore's sexuality, Rowling claimed, "It has certainly never been news to me that a brave and brilliant man could love other men."
Yesterday, on Twitter, a fan of the series reached out to Rowling and asked why she had decided to portray Dumbledore as gay because she "couldn't see him in that way. Rowling's answer was simple:
Rowling's response to this tweet speaks to how a character's sexuality is not something that can simply be seen or should separate them as different from anybody else. Dumbledore being gay was just merely another aspect of his character, and though it was not a major plot point, it has still received a great response from Harry Potter fans. Rowling even mentioned years ago a fan who came out to her after learning Dumbledore was gay, making her feel like the choice to share that part of the character was a positive one. Though the tweets from the fan have since been deleted, her response was a positive one: "Amazing answer... Yes you are absolutely right. Such an inspiration!!!"