So I Guess You Heard
Dumbledore is gay. How do you like that. Like it makes any difference in the character at all, which it doesn't, which is why I was so impressed with the way J.K. Rowling just kind of tossed it out there, like it was no big deal.
The thing is, homosexuality, or any number of other things that are often viewed as hot button issues, only are if you make them so. Otherwise, it's as significant as hair color, which is to say, not. Not that it isn't significant to the people it affects directly, but there's no reason it needs to be for anyone else.
I've mentioned this before, I think, and I'm not throwing this out there as an example of Hey, I was a terrific parent and here's the proof. It's just the way we handled something in our family and that it happened to work well for us. I didn't shield my children from any awareness of the gay, nor did I make a deal of it. If they heard the word and asked me what it meant, I gave them an age appropriate answer. (For example: it means a man who loves another man instead of a woman, or a woman who loves another woman.) I wouldn't give a small child a more detailed explanation any more than I would give them a detailed explanation of heterosexual sexuality. When a six year old asks why family friends Susie and Bob are getting married, you don't say Because they want to have sex with each other. You say it's because they love each other. That's what they need to know at that age.
Anyway, I knew I would have to explain it to them somehow at some point because my OldFriend is gay, and they saw her a lot when they were little. So, when R was seven or eight, she asked me once why OldFriend didn't have a husband, and I said, Oh, she's gay, so she likes women instead of men. And that was all she needed to know, and she was happy with it.
It's only a big deal if people turn it into one. You only have to explain it if they've never heard of it before.
So, Dumbledore. To tell the truth, I always thought JKR was using Lupin's outcast/werewolf status as a metaphor for the gay, which maybe she was to some extent, but the whole fanfic world who fervently hoped that Lupin and Sirius Black were an item was crushed when Lupin and Tonks got together. (Oh, spoiler alert. Sorry. Hey, that book came out years ago.) But I like that there is some character in there who is randomly gay, like people in the real world.
And ... on to other things.
We had that in-service today, and my sessions went very well, but I was exhausted by the time I was done, giving the same lesson six times at top speed since we only had a half hour for each one. And yes, my feet are killing me because the supports I tried today were extremely suckful and I had to take them off mid-day. (I have something else to try for tomorrow.) But here's the cute thing I have to show you:
One of the other teachers who was presenting, a former graphic artist, made up the evaluation sheet for the end of the day, and put a little caricature of each of us presenters at the bottom, and this, of course, is moi. Don't be surprised if it replaces my Disney 1960 photo after my trip; I think this is the cutest little cartoon of me ever. (And yes, I've seen other cartoon/characters/whatevers of me, so I have what to compare it to.)
And now I think I'll give my oldest nephew a call to make sure he isn't anywhere near the fires in San Diego. The Hubs has a cousin who lives there, too, but his job is such that he's probably helping with the evacuations, so we're sure he's okay. And my nephew -- let's go with JJ for him -- lives practically right on the beach, and I haven't heard of any fires there. But it would be nice to hear his voice anyway.
WATCHING LAW AND ORDER :: ENTRY #1611
I'm with you. It doesn't matter to me one way or another if Dumbledor is gay. I never read any of the books. I have only watched the movies out thus far, but I am wondering why it was mentioned at all. So far in the movies, sexuality hasn't even beed smopen about. That's one of hte things I loved about these movies. No sex, no swearing. Why can't they just leave well enough alone?
ReplyDeleteI don't really see how it matters one way or the other. I have a couple of really good friends who also happen to be in a gay relationshiop with each other. When Warren was old enough to understand he figured it out, but it was never a big deal, its just S adn S. I mean these are kids books anyway, the rauchiest they get is some making out, in a pg way. Otherwise its never mentioned, in my opinion his gay/straightness is irrelvevant
ReplyDeleteWhen we first moved to the city my (then 6 and 8) oldest kids had a huge argument about two men kissing in the park. I used much the same method as you and explained that some men preferred kissing other men than women. It turned out that the dispute was about whether or not women could have beards. The gayness wasn't an issue at all.
ReplyDeleteJust as it isn't an issue with Dumbledore.
I just don't get why it matters whether Dumbledore is gay. IMHO, it doesn't affect the plotline at all, or the quality of the books. We don't discuss Prof McGonagall's sex life, so why should we care about Dumbledore's? I was raised by what I thought were very tolerant parents, who didn't explain gay as either good or bad to me. I remember looking at a cover of People when I was probably 4 or 5, seeing Boy George, and thinking to myself, "Wow. He looks pretty with all that makeup on." I knew he was a boy, and for some reason it was okay in my child-brain that he wore makeup. Now that I'm older, my stepmom is incensed that her church might start marrying gays IN THE CHURCH. For shame. ;o) Me, I don't care what gender you're attracted to, as long as you find love.
ReplyDelete"All you need is love...."
Isn't that the way you teach kids about anything? They ask a question, you give them a truthful answer they can understand. Occasionally, it can backfire, but that's just funny.
ReplyDeleteI laughed