Add "the sexual orientation of a fictional character" to the list of things that are apparently capable of dominating an American news cycle in the 21st century.

Newsweek reports that J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, has revealed that Albus Dumbledore -- longtime headmaster of Hogwarts, the school attended by Potter and his fellow teen wizards -- was gay. From the article:

In front of a full house of hardcore Potter fans at Carnegie Hall in New York, Rowling, sitting on the stage on a red velvet and carved wood throne, read from her seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," then took questions. One fan asked whether Albus Dumbledore, the head of the famed Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, had ever loved anyone. Rowling smiled. "Dumbledore is gay, actually," replied Rowling as the audience erupted in surprise. She added that, in her mind, Dumbledore had an unrequited love affair with Gellert Grindelwald, Voldemort's predecessor who appears in the seventh book. After several minutes of prolonged shouting and clapping from astonished fans, Rowling added. "I would have told you earlier if I knew it would make you so happy."

From a certain point of view, it's easy to understand the fascination with the Potter characters' private lives -- the books have sold a lot of copies, after all -- but that isn't going to make the inevitable purple-faced rants from apoplectic conservative pundits any less ridiculous. To read more of Rowling's revelations regarding the post-Potter exploits of her beloved characters (including the romantic futures of Hagrid and Neville Longbottom), click on the link below!

Source: Newsweek