'Out' Editor on the Outing of Dumbledore

When J.K. Rowling outed Albus Dumbledore as gay, was it her way of saying thanks to one of her most devoted constituencies? Out magazine Aaron Hicklin says gay people of all ages had a particular affinity for the Harry Potter books, even before they knew the Hogwarts headmaster was one of them.

"I'm one of the many adults not so adult that I don't love Harry Potter, and I suspect (but have no proof) that the books have a particular appeal to gay readers for all the obvious reasons," he says, via email. "Gay men are able to identify a) with children's fiction because invariably the hero is the outsider; and b) with fantasy because it posits an alternate universe, usually one in which wrongs can be righted."

"But," he adds, "personally I find Richard Harris as Dumbledore a much hotter proposition than Michael Gambon, especially if it could be Harris circa This Sporting Life."

Thanks for clearing that up.

If only Rowling had flung open the closet door a few weeks earlier, her creation might even have made the annual Out 100. In his absence, the list found room for a somewhat less beloved figure: Mario Lavandeira, aka Perez Hilton.

Says Hicklin, "Obviously we knew it would be polarizing, but it's hard to argue with the fact that he's made a tremendous impact, for better or worse."

(The People mock-up above is the work of BWE.com, by the way.)