Canon citation requested (was Re: The problems with DD being gay)

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 178498

> Alla:
> 
> I am sure I have already said it, but I want to hear your thoughts 
on 
> it, so I will say it again.
> 
> To me Dumbledore being gay illuminates several things in the story, 
> which was repeated as well, so I will not say it, BUT I also see 
> perfect story line logical reason of why she did not disclose his 
> sexuality at all.
> 
> That is because **NONE** of the teachers' orientation is disclosed. 
> Why should Dumbledore get special treatment indeed?
> 
> I have no clue if Minerva, Sprout, Filius, Sinistra, Slugghorn 
> straight or gay. No idea. I see it as teachers in old fashioned 
> english school do not share stories of their love life with 
students.

Magpie:
But you do know about Tonks/Lupin and Hagrid/Maxime. It's not all 
teachers we don't know about--or perhaps it's better to say it's just 
obviously that it's not a rule that we *can't* know about them. When 
Hagrid was courting Maxime, when Lupin (first introduced as a teacher 
and also in the Order, like both Dumbledore and Hagrid) gets involved 
with Tonks we eventually hear about it and nobody thinks it's odd.

Alla:
> 
> Why would they?
> 
> I mean, Lupin's orientation is disclosed, but I think it is very 
> telling that it is disclosed ONLY when he no longer teaches, no?
> 
> Same thing with Snape, heeee. We only know about his love life, 
sort 
> of, when he is dead and no longer a teacher.

Magpie:
But so is Dumbledore dead and no longer a teacher. (Technically he's 
never been a teacher, just a headmaster.) And Hagrid was a teacher 
when JKR showed him with Madam Maxime--and she was a headmistress. 
It's not expected that if we know a teacher we'll see them in any 
sort of romantic situation, but it's not unheard of. So Dumbledore's 
once being a teacher isn't any reason he can't have any romantic 
relationships associated with him.


Alla:
As I also mentioned before the fact that no **KIDS** same sex couple 
> ever mentioned that makes significantly less sense to me, but with 
> teachers I understand it perfectly.

Magpie:
Yes, with students I think it makes more sense just for background. 
With teachers we only know about relationships that she includes for 
some specific reason. This includes Lupin/Tonks and Hagrid/Maxime. 
Dumbledore's past relationship seems to be no less relevent than 
theirs. It adds something to actions of his that are mentioned in the 
books and also sets up more of a neat contrast with Snape. I think 
it's a shame we miss that last bit.

-m