One reporter reacts to JKR's revelations

[Goddlefrood]

> Susan:
<SNIP>
> Now, of course no one on this list is a bigot or has hatred 
> towards lesbians and gay men. But there are a tremendous lot 
> of assaults, and murders, discrimination in housing, throwing 
> away of gay youth from the home, discrimination in the workplace, 
> etc. etc. here in the United States.

Goddlefrood, dashing in where angels fear to tread:

It's a global phenomenon, there is still a great deal of 
discrimination towards the gay community in all countries, 
some more so than others. The USA actually has some (used 
advisedly) tolerance towards gays.

> Susan:
> Check out the Leaky Cauldron. Dumbledore has been diminished 
> (why?)
<SNIP>

Goddlefrood:

I rarely use the above referred site as I find it rather puerile, 
despite its remit to report on Potter news. Loth though I am to 
mention it, there was a rather good piece on Mugglenet from one 
of the staff relative to the outing of Dumbledore.

Susan:
> SUDDENLY...Salon and the New York Times and everyone else 
> is suggesting that JKR shut up and stop interpreting her 
> characters..

Goddlefrood:

Even though I do tend to follow what Ms. Rowling says off the 
page as well as on it, I also now tend to ignore what she says 
if it differs from my idea of a character or situation (this 
has mostly been a post-DH epiphany for me). As I've said before, 
the imagination of the individual is a wonderful thing. Ms. 
Rowling is free to continue to spout nons, er, talk about the 
interpretation of the books. I am equally free to disregard 
what she says where it differs from my own ideas.

>Susan:
> Did we hear ANYthing like this when Christopher Tolkien 
> published a book based on his father's notes? Did we hear 
> problems with J.R.R. Tolkien publishing the history and 
> back story of Middle Earth in the Silmarillion? Nada...

Goddlefrood:

Actually, yes there was a large controversy, which no doubt 
could be found at any LotR site. I read only the first two 
of the history of Middle Earth put out by Tolien Jnr. myself 
and disliked his interjections to the extent of undertaking 
not to read any more. Oh, and The Silmarillion was published 
posthumously, and was not in the form JRRT wanted, by most 
accounts.

> Susan:
> It's all about prejudice, ignorance and bigotry.

Goddlefrood:

I partly disagree, it's mostly about ignorance. If someone has 
been in regular contact with gays or has gay friends, then it 
is usual that prejudice and bigotry (if originally present) 
fade due to lessening of ignorance. If, after such contact, 
any prejudice remains then there might be a case for saying 
that was bigoted. Then again, I'm no philosopher, so what do 
I know?

btw, I've been feeling rather gay myself lately, but in the 
older sense of the word :-)