# Albus Dumbledore was... (shocking news inside!!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369 "2007-10-20T03:40:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/21 "2007-10-20T08:41:26Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] ‘Albus Dumbledore’ can be rearranged to spell ‘So durable lubed’ or ‘Lubed our blades’. Also ‘Balled Euro buds’ and ‘Bull aroused abed’. [/QUOTE] All except for that inconvenient “m”, in all cases. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/22 "2007-10-20T08:42:07Z")
Kulgan did it first. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/23 "2007-10-20T09:05:15Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] All except for that inconvenient “m”, in all cases. 😛 [/QUOTE] Bad Lube - smoulder? Doles durable bum? labored bums duel? Sold Bermuda lube? Aroused dumbbell? Balled Bum Roused? ---
**Author:** ![Anduinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Anduinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduinel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/24 "2007-10-20T09:59:39Z")
I guess I just don’t see the big fuss. If she’d had the kids unearth Dumbles’ unsent love-letters to Grindelwald in the seventh book or had Rita uncover it in his diaries, I’d have been interested. This? Not so much. Obviously the focus of the books wasn’t supposed to be the youthful adventures of that flighty temptress Albus Dumbledore, but there’s something about this news coming after the series has wrapped that just makes me shrug. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/25 "2007-10-20T11:08:21Z")
[QUOTE=Anduinel] I guess I just don’t see the big fuss. If she’d had the kids unearth Dumbles’ unsent love-letters to Grindelwald in the seventh book or had Rita uncover it in his diaries, I’d have been interested. This? Not so much. Obviously the focus of the books wasn’t supposed to be the youthful adventures of that flighty temptress Albus Dumbledore, but there’s something about this news coming after the series has wrapped that just makes me shrug. [/QUOTE] Quite. it’s just like those guys who want to retroactively make Sulu gay in _Star Trek_. If it had been done within the narrative that would have been great. After it’s all finished though it’s pretty pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Anduinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Anduinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduinel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/26 "2007-10-20T11:33:02Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Shine] Quite. it’s just like those guys who want to retroactively make Sulu gay in _Star Trek_. If it had been done within the narrative that would have been great. After it’s all finished though it’s pretty pointless. [/QUOTE] I also wonder if Dumbles’ homosexuality wasn’t actually included in canon because Rowling didn’t want to make the reveal in a way that would have a chance to notably (read as: negatively) impact sales. Say it in an interview months after most people who care to know what happened to Harry & Co have already bought the book? Big deal. Put it down on the page in black and white? Towering international shitstorm at thousands of bookshops (which might have been almost as much fun as the hoopla over the leaked book, really). ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/27 "2007-10-20T11:49:56Z")
Dumbledore called Rowling “a snoopy gossipy little bitch who has no respect for boundaries or privacy.” GLAAD had not issued an official comment as of press time. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/28 "2007-10-20T12:38:03Z")
[QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] Bad Lube - smoulder? Doles durable bum? labored bums duel? Sold Bermuda lube? Aroused dumbbell? Balled Bum Roused? [/QUOTE] Thanks, I was having a bad morning, and a fit of uncontrolled laughter was just what I needed! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/29 "2007-10-20T12:55:42Z")
She also revealed that the books are supposed to be very [Christian](http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572107/20071017/index.jhtml) but she waited to bring that out in the seventh book. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/30 "2007-10-20T13:03:57Z")
Dear George Lucas, Please don’t do this to Obi-Wan. Thanks, DJ ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/31 "2007-10-20T13:12:21Z")
Then what the heck was the Lupin-werewolf story line? I cannot be just about racism. Or all that slash is gonna look silly. What about the flying teacher? She looks a little butch. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/32 "2007-10-20T13:29:37Z")
[QUOTE=DJ Motorbike] Dear George Lucas, Please don’t do this to Obi-Wan. [/QUOTE] Dear DJ, Too late. Have you even _watched_ the prequels? Sincerely, George Lucas ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/33 "2007-10-20T14:04:27Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Dear DJ, Too late. Have you even _watched_ the prequels? Sincerely, George Lucas [/QUOTE] The what now? Oh. Dear George Lucas, Please don’t do this to THX-1138. Thanks, DJ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/34 "2007-10-20T14:08:52Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] All except for that inconvenient “m”, in all cases. 😛 [/QUOTE] :smack: D’OH! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/35 "2007-10-20T17:12:15Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] So what would you name Diagon Alley’s gay bar? The golden shower crowd has the publication _Whizzards_, of course, and there are genre pubs like _Gobbledepoof_ and _Don’t Ask Don’t Spell_, but where would the mainstream academic/banker/auror crowd who happen to like wizard on wizard action go. [/QUOTE] _Yellow Brick Road_, hello! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/36 "2007-10-20T17:21:05Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] _Yellow Brick Road_, hello! [/QUOTE] Yellow Brick Choad ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/37 "2007-10-20T18:09:53Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] She also revealed that the books are supposed to be very [Christian](http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572107/20071017/index.jhtml) but she waited to bring that out in the seventh book. [/QUOTE] [Coulda been worse.](http://www.homeonthestrange.com/view.php?ID=169) ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/38 "2007-10-20T19:38:00Z")
[QUOTE=Lucky 13] I figured it out about halfway through “Deathly Hallows,” when his close friendship with Grindelwald was discussed. I _knew_ they weren’t “just friends”! 😃 I always thought it was curious how all through the series there was no mention of any gay people, wizards or Muggles. I wonder why she waited until now to mention this? [/QUOTE] I thought it was rather implied with the friendship with Grindelwald, too, but since he was still young I thought he may have just been experimenting. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/39 "2007-10-20T20:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] Then what the heck was the Lupin-werewolf story line? I cannot be just about racism. Or all that slash is gonna look silly. What about the flying teacher? She looks a little butch. [/QUOTE] I can’t find a cite, but I seem to recall that Lupin’s werewolf-ism is an allegory for AIDS. Actually, I think it’s a better allegory for AIDS than homosexuality, because you can’t catch homosexuality, while you can catch AIDS, though it’s unfair to shun HIV-positive people when reasonable precautions will ensure that you don’t catch what they have. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369/40 "2007-10-20T20:42:10Z")
Does anyone else find this kind of attention whor-ish? Why bring it up now, after publication and hype are over and done with? Are we to get more snippets and tidbits every year from her? Why can’t her work just stand as is–it won’t be falling into obscurity very fast. Are we to be subjected to Timothy Gambon channelling La Cage aux Folle in the future films? I don’t care if AD is gay or celibate or into animal husbandry like his brother. If she really wanted this to be known, she should/would have put it in the books, IMO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albus-dumbledore-was-shocking-news-inside/423369.md?page=3)