Most fans remember Dumbledore as the strongest wizard in Harry Potter.
And if it weren’t for his skill in magic…
He’s also very popular for witty comebacks and funny quotes.
But have you ever wondered why he never got married?
Or maybe there’s something more he’s hiding behind the closet?
Continue reading to discover:
- 5 clues that point out why Albus Dumbledore was actually gay.
- 3 reasons why fans think that Dumbledore was straight all along.
- Why the Headmaster’s sexuality became such a hot topic years ago.
- And so much more…
Is Albus Dumbledore gay?
Albus Dumbledore is gay. J.K. Rowling said that Dumbledore had an intense relationship with Gellert Grindelwald. She also mentioned that the gay couple was very sexual and passionate. But J.K. Rowling preferred to focus on their emotional side. There were also hints in the Harry Potter series.
Albus Dumbledore’s sexuality and backstory
It might come as a surprise to others.
And other fans would say they saw it coming from a mile away.
But the Headmaster of Hogwarts was actually gay all this time.
As a result, it’s not a surprise that he stayed single.
His heart’s actually looking for someone else.
And that special person was Gellert Grindelwald.
A young and talented wizard he met in Godric’s Hollow. The small village in England where both boys grew up together.
Grindelwald was the nephew of Bathilda Bagshot.
And Bathilda thought it would be a great idea for young Gellert and Albus to meet.
But she didn’t know how well the boys would click at the time.
Yet Albus immediately took a liking to Gellert and vice versa.
You see, they were talented wizards.
Not to mention both were very ambitious.
But was Grindelwald just as kind-hearted as Dumbledore?
No, his dreams took an evil turn.
So while Dumbledore did believe in Grindelwald’s ideas at first…
He couldn’t set aside the harm their actions would cause.
“Why’d that happen? What was Gellert Grindelwald planning to do anyway?”
He wanted to establish a new world order.
He believed that Muggles would bring about the end.
So he planned on ruling over the non-magical people to save the wizarding world.
In his own words, he was doing this:
“For the greater good…”
However, Dumbledore saw these plans for what they truly were.
It would spark the start of a worldly conflict, the Global Wizarding War.
As a result, his love could never become more than a tragic backstory.
He couldn’t let Grindelwald get away with his evil plans.
So Dumbledore confronted him to put an end to his schemes.
And it led to a legendary wizard duel that left the world in shock.
Plus, if you’re wondering what their battle would look like.
You can check out their fight from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore:
“Wait, why didn’t we learn about their love sooner? Why’d Dumbledore hide him being gay?”
Well, if you put yourself in Dumbledore’s shoes…
Would there be any reason to share your love life with your students?
Let’s not forget that he’s the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
And no matter how close he was to Harry Potter…
Talking about past romances doesn’t align with being responsible at all.
So it’s not that shocking for Dumbledore not to bring it up.
On top of that, a study shows that a breakup can cause depression-like symptoms.
As a result, I wouldn’t blame Dumbledore for keeping it a secret.
Who knows how much pain he had to endure putting the love of his life behind bars?
“But what about before the Fantastic Beats franchise? What did fans think about Dumbledore then?”
Although Dumbledore’s sexuality was only recently confirmed…
There are actually a bunch of reasons and clues about it.
In fact, we have insights for both sides of the coin too.
For the fans who knew Dumbledore was gay all along.
And other fans who believed he was straight all this time.
So instead of beating around the bush…
It’s about time we head straight into the:
5 reasons why people think Dumbledore is gay
#1: Look at the way he dresses
Fashion choices are a form of expression.
And people are free to wear whatever they want.
So just because you’re wearing pink or like more feminine looks…
It doesn’t decide your gender.
However, if we look at the time period of the Harry Potter series…
Albus Dumbledore’s fashion sense was truly something else.
He didn’t settle for the casual wizarding robes of dull colors.
He went for flashier ones with eye-catching patterns.
On top of that, he also loved wearing high-heeled wizard boots.
And it’s 1 of the biggest reason why people think Dumbledore’s gay.
In fact, even the other professors called him:
“Odd…”
Albus wasn’t your typical image of a normal wizard.
Also, he had quite an outwardly-confident personality.
And research shows it was one of the most common traits associated with gay people in a survey.
So if you put two and two together…
It should’ve been a big hint about Dumbledore’s actual gender.
#2: His love for knitting’s a dead giveaway
Knitting’s a fun hobby.
And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it.
Plus, if you like to knit different garments…
It doesn’t make you gay.
But we can’t overlook the obvious fact.
It’s traditionally a feminine activity.
But what does this have to do with Dumbledore, you ask?
Well, he actually loved knitting patterns.
And in Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, he said:
“Horace, do you mind if I take this? I do love knitting patterns.”
And for Dumbledore to like it so much.
It’s a dead giveaway about his gender.
Plus, there’s so much more context about knitting with their culture at the time.
You see, men in knitting books were extremely attractive.
A bit too suspiciously hot for a pastime.
So for Dumbledore to take the knitting pattern book…
It could mean 1 of 2 things.
Either he really liked making scarfs in his free time…
Or he wanted it for other purposes.
And if it were the latter…
Then it’s definitely a nudge at Dumbledore being gay.
#3: The way he talked about Grindelwald
And if he spoke of you in high regard…
It meant a lot because his words carried weight.
However, he talked about Grindelwald a bit differently.
You see, the main movies didn’t do a good job of showing Gellert Grindelwald.
In the books, he never told the Dark Lord who had the Elder Wand.
Grindelwald still had a lot of respect for Dumbledore.
So Gellert wouldn’t give up the location of such a powerful magical artifact…
Even if Voldemort was facing him.
So what does this have to do about Dumbledore’s gender, you ask?
Well, even Albus still held Gellert in high regard.
And this was what he had to say about Grindelwald:
“You cannot imagine how his ideas caught me, Harry, inflamed me.”
Plus, that wasn’t the only time.
He made a subtle note of how deeply he felt for Grindelwald:
“Did I know, in my heart of hearts, what Gellert Grindelwald was? I think I did, but I closed my eyes.”
Of course, this was in the context of the past.
And Dumbledore was talking about his mistakes following Grindelwald.
But that doesn’t take away from how Albus described Gellert.
So if you read between the lines…
It’s clearly a hint at something more than a simple bond.
And that’s why people think Dumbledore’s gay.
#4: J.K. Rowling confirmed it in an interview
Of course, the reasons above were nothing but speculation.
But if you want some hard facts…
J.K. Rowling actually confirmed Albus Dumbledore’s gender in an interview.
And this was all the way back in 2007.
You see, she was on a U.S. Tour and speaking at Carnegie Hall on a Friday night.
A curious fan brought up the question about Dumbledore’s sexuality.
And Rowling responded by saying:
“I always thought Dumbledore was gay…”
In fact, she even described it as:
“A great tragedy…”
Because Gellert Grindelwald loved his dreams more than he loved Dumbledore.
And since Grindelwald’s goals would cause so much harm…
Albus had to be the one to stop him.
In fact, he was the only one strong enough to face Gellert too.
On top of that, this was before the release of the last 2 movies in the franchise.
So It doesn’t get more factual than having confirmation from the author herself.
#5: As seen in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Finally, there’s no bigger clue than the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
In fact, it doesn’t even count as a hint anymore.
It’s an actual confirmation of love between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
And it’s a fitting backstory for both great wizards.
Because both of them were outcasts but found a connection with each other.
For example, Albus tells Gellert:
“We can free each other.”
And while it can mean many things about their problems…
It strongly points to the pain they feel.
Dumbledore’s telling Grindelwald to let go of his evil goals.
And come back to him.
So if that doesn’t scream Dumbledore’s gay…
Then I don’t know what will convince you.
What’s more, Grindelwald also said this to Dumbledore:
“I was never your enemy. Then or now.”
And while it’s mostly about how Grindelwald saw his actions.
Especially how he knew deep inside that it was still the right thing to do.
It’s also directed at Dumbledore.
And that Gellert could never truly hurt Albus.
Because he loved him and never saw him as an enemy.
3 reasons why people think Dumbledore is straight
#1: It’s never hinted at in the main 7-book series
I know it’s inappropriate for Dumbledore to share about his past romances.
But surely he’d mention he’s gay at least once, right?
Or maybe even slightly hint at his sexuality?
Well, we don’t see anything.
Not even a single moment through the main 7-book series.
And since J.K. Rowling never included any scene about Dumbledore being gay…
It’s 1 of the reasons why people think he’s straight.
Plus, all of the other things concerning his personality don’t make him gay too.
For example, anyone can be flamboyant.
And there’s nothing wrong with wearing flashy robes.
You can like those things and still be straight.
As a result, fans didn’t let Dumbledore’s eccentric persona tie him down to a stereotype.
Most fans just thought that’s how he liked to live his life.
And they didn’t assume he was gay just because of it.
#2: His closeness with Grindelwald can also be a strong friendship
Sure, Dumbledore spoke highly about Grindelwald.
But does that make him gay?
No, it could also mean they had a strong friendship.
There doesn’t have to be romantic love for 2 guys to be close.
A study shows how important connecting with friends can be.
It can even have positive effects on your well-being.
And since both of the wizards were outcasts…
They could have simply confided in each other.
It doesn’t necessarily mean it was love.
It could also mean it was a strong brotherhood between Albus and Gellert.
And if we see this happen in the real world…
Then why can’t it be the case for Dumbledore and Grindelwald too?
You can’t judge a relationship out of clues.
#3: J.K. Rowling’s bad habit of changing things from the books
J.K. Rowling was shot into the limelight for writing the Harry Potter series.
However, that’s not the only reason why she’s popular.
She’s also pretty infamous for changing things from the books.
Especially rewriting stuff that wasn’t there in the first place.
For example, she said that Hermione Granger was black.
And this was what she tweeted:
“Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair, and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione”
Of course, we do not hate diversity.
We strongly support being inclusive.
But J.K. Rowling’s approved many official artworks that showed Hermione was white.
As a result, it comes off as the author trying to score extra brownie points for being inclusive.
And not really about being diverse with her cast of characters.
So given that kind of background, it’s hard to trust J.K. Rowling’s word on Dumbledore being gay.
It could easily be another way for her to earn sympathy from the LGBT community.
Conclusion: Is Dumbledore gay?
Dumbledore is gay. There were a lot of clues in the Harry Potter series. Plus, his relationship with Grindelwald was confirmed in the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise. J.K. Rowling said Dumbledore had an intense sexual relationship with Grindelwald. So Dumbledore being gay is confirmed.