J.K Rowling claims to write diverse characters...but never writes them

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hit bookshelves in 2007, but author J.K Rowling is still adding to her story. Upon the conclusion of the series, Rowling announced in an interview that one of the most loved characters, Dumbledore, was gay.

The controversy isn’t about what one would think it would be about. Potter fans have no problem with Dumbledore’s sexuality, they have a problem with the fact that it was never mentioned in the books. Now, in 2019, Rowling revisited this fact about Dumbledore on the DVD and Blu-Ray editions of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

She describes the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald as being “Incredibly intense. It was passionate, and it was a love relationship.”

But, where is the proof? Will it be addressed in the Fantastic Beasts movies? Director David Yates says this on the issue:

“I think all the fans are aware of that. He had a very intense relationship with Grindelwald when they were young men. They fell in love with each other’s ideas, and ideology and each other.”

So, no. No gay Dumbledore in the books or in the movies. Yates is only going to allude to this fact. For instance, in the second Fantastic Beasts movie Dumbledore sees Grindelwald reflected in the Mirror of Erised (which has the magical ability to show what one’s heart desires). Maybe a viewer can interpret the expression on Dumbledore’s face as one of love, but it could also be interpreted in a number of different ways. Love in a platonic way, regret of the past, wishful for reconciliation, etc.

Maybe people would have been able to let it go if it weren’t for Rowling making it a habit of adding things to books which have been published already. When asked on Twitter if there was anyone Jewish at Hogwarts she named “Anthony Goldstein” of the Ravenclaw house. I’m almost certain Rowling saw the tweet and answered with the first name she could think of. As someone who has read the books (quite a few times if I am being honest), and saw the movies, I must say that I’ve never come across “Anthony Goldstein”. If I did just read over his name, he was never relevant or mentioned as being Jewish.

Rowling has also faced controversy for saying that Hermione Granger is black despite the fact that Emma Watson, a white actress, plays her in the movies. According to Rowling, she has never written what Hermione’s skin color is, so she could be of any race. Again, this would be fine if it weren’t for this scene from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

These after-the-fact revelations (and direct conflicts from the books) make Rowling’s attempt at representation feel like a hollow gesture. The Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series are incredibly well-received but the author, not so much.