Fantastic Beasts 2 Dumbledore’s Sexuality: Why it should be highlighted now but one day ignored

One day we can hopefully ignore it, but right now, Dumbledore’s sexuality must be highlighted.

Dumbledore’s sexuality is dominating the entertainment news right now. Why? Because Director David Yates confirmed that the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will not explicitly go into Dumbledore’s sexuality.

A huge surprise to many who were hoping to see the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald on screen; something which has been left completely to the imagination ever since it Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling confirmed that Dumbledore is gay and had a relationship with the famous Dark Wizard Grindelwald when they were much younger men.

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Rowling confirmed this way back in 2007 when promoting the final Harry Potter book, “The Deathly Hallows”. After that announcement, the final three movies of the Harry Potter franchise were completed with no attention drawn to Dumbledore’s sexuality.

So when Fantastic Beasts got the green light, and more importantly Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, fans hoped that now would be Dumbledore’ time. That time for highlighting his sexuality. Instead, it has been shelved with the option of addressing at a later date.

The thing is, while all of the anger by fans is understandable, the decision to not highlight Dumbledore’s sexuality is actually the right one. Just the wrong time.

Why we must highlight Dumbledore’s sexuality

While TV has made great strides in this area, film, is behind; far behind. Why they are so behind is a debate for another day. What is important now is that Dumbledore being gay needs to be highlighted. It needs to be highlighted more than any other relationship.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD. Photo credit: Mark Seliger via WB Press Fantastic Beasts

Not because it is Dumbledore, but because we just do not have enough gay characters in movies. Because whenever we do get a gay character he is not addressed openly, comfortably and equally. We need to praise and admire our gay characters right now because by ignoring and not celebrating our gay characters we are degrading them.

LGBTQ fans don’t have someone to look up to. They don’t have a character they can follow and appreciate; someone who will help bring awareness and openness to their sexuality.

Ignoring or not touching on the subject in full right now is playing to those who are against Dumbledore’s sexuality. It’s appeasing a minority of viewers to encourage them to still watch. The only reason it works on Fantastic Beasts is the time period, where homosexuality was a crime in the muggle (and presumably the magical) world. If it was set in the present day, it would be a travesty. But behind closed doors (mainly due to the time period of the movie) the relationship should be highlighted.

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Why one day we should be able to ignore it

Surely the ultimate goal is to reach a point in society where we acknowledge a gay couple as we do a straight couple. That it has become so normalized that when we learn someone is gay, we just nod and accept it as though it is nothing. As we do with straight couples.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD. Photo credit: Mark Seliger via WB Press Fantastic Beasts

Of course the only we can do that one day is by highlighting a gay relationship now. By highlighting gay relationships now and presenting gay relationships on our screens as the norm it will one day become the norm. And then, when it becomes the norm and a gay or lesbian couple is equal to a straight couple, then we can treat the relationship just like a heterosexual one.

The decision to not highlight Dumbledore’s relationship with Grindelwald is wrong, right now. Hopefully, it will be addressed in the following Fantastic Beasts movie, but hopefully, we will reach the stage where it becomes no issue at all to ignore his sexuality because it is the norm.

Next: When will the Fatastic Beasts:The Crimes of Grindewald trailer be released?

What do you think? Are you bothered at how Dumbledore’s sexuality is to be ignored? Do you believe that one day we can reach a point where it can be ignored? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is scheduled for release, November, 16^th, 2018