For UK Buzz Fellowship: Dumbledore Won't Be Openly Gay In Fantastic Beasts 2 Thanks To J.K. Rowling

For UK Buzz Fellowship

This is J.K . Rowling, you probably recognise her.

Rob Stothard / Getty Images / Via wordpress.com

After scoring it big with the worldwide success of the Harry Potter franchise, both on and off screen, J.K. secured the opportunity to write the screenplays for the five films planned within the Fantastic Beasts series. After the success of Where to Find Them, we all can’t wait to see what happens in this year’s sequel The Crimes of Grindelwald, but many fans are upset about how Ms Rowling is treating one of the characters returning from the original Potter series.

You see, back in 2007, Rowling created quite the press storm after revealing to a shocked fan that Dumbledore was, in her mind, gay. The social landscape in 2007 was very different to ours in 2018 and many were outraged at such a notion. Others, though, were confused. Why had Rowling not allowed the character to be openly gay in the novels?

When Dumbledore was announced to be returning to our screens (in the form of Hollywood heart-throb Jude Law) fans hoped that, as queer film characters are becoming more accepted, J.K. Rowling would finally let Dumbledore be gay.

Rob Stothard / Getty Images / Via wordpress.com

It seemed especially likely that we would be getting our first glimpse at an openly gay Dumbledore when Rowling revealed the franchise going forward would revolve around his conflict with the dark wizard Grindelwald.

Avid fans will know that Dumbledore and Grindelwald have a deep-rooted history together, with their strong friendship evolving into a love affair that culminates in the tragic death of Dumbledore’s younger sister. While it is ambiguous as to whether Dumbledore’s feelings were reciprocated, Grindelwald has been painted as Dumbledore’s first (and last) love interest, and someone he has very complex feelings towards given the dark wizard's fascist beliefs.

Well then, it looks like 2018 will give us our first queer hero in a blockbuster with The Crimes of Grindelwald! I mean, how can you write a film about the conflict between two ex-lovers and not once mention their past romantic connection? Right?

Well…not quite.

Warner Bros.

In January 2018 David Yates, the film's director, declared Dumbledore's sexuality was not explicitly referenced within the motion picture. Warner Bros. and Rowling would keep Dumbledore straight, in a move that many upset fans are calling Dumbledore’s ‘queer erasure’. This could make sense if, say, the character's story wasn't entirely about his growing conflict between his ex-lover Grindelwald, but it is.

It simply doesn't make sense, and yet Rowling disappointingly dismissed queer fans via social media who felt frustrated at this example of 'queer erasure'. Multiple journalistic outlets came down on the confusing decision, with The Guardian, CNN, The Independent, and Vanity Fair all asking "why won't J.K. Rowling let Dumbledore be gay?".

It's not great timing for the author either; her controversial defense of Johnny Depp's casting in the Fantastic Beasts sequels coincided with her interaction with a transphobic tweet last week. The novelist did, though, hint that the pair's relationship would be addressed in some form as the five-part series continues in the years to come.

While it is disappointing that Rowling and Yates have decided not to explore Dumbledore’s queer identity within Fantastic Beasts 2, it’s not all doom and gloom for queer movie goers seeking representation.

20th Century Fox

The aforementioned Love, Simon is in theaters now in the USA with an April release date for us Brits, and the revolutionary romance film is causing headlines of its own as it seeks to normalize the queer identity on a mainstream scale.

So, will J.K. Rowling ever let Dumbledore be gay? Who knows at this point, but hey, we’ve got our fingers crossed and our hopes high for the franchise going forward! Come on, J.K., let that big gay elephant in the room free! After all, it might just be the most important fantastic beast yet.