Dumbledore Gay - Harry Potter Marketing

Ian Johnson, Out Now
October 22, 2007

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TOPICS: Harry Potter. Dumbledore. Gay Harry Potter. J K Rowling. Harry Potter author JK Rowling reveals one of the lead Harry Potter charcters, Dumbledore, is gay. Gay consumers. Lesbian and gay consumer marketing. Gay and lesbian marketing. Revelations by JK Rowling that Harry Potter headmaster Dumbledore is gay. Clever marketing or gay rights politics on Rowling's part?

Gay Market News has covered a lot of different lesbian and gay marketing angles over the years, including the relative lack of gay and lesbian characters appearing in mainstream media, but here is one that we never thought we would be covering.

JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of books, revealed over the weekend that one of the leading characters in the series, Harry Potter's Hogwarts school headmaster, a character called Albus Dumbledore, is gay.

The fact that JK Rowling revealed the Dumbledore character's homosexuality not in the books themselves, but at the New York Carnegie Hall during an author question and answer session, is very interesting.

This revelation that Albus Dumbledore is gay is a major one so far as the millions of Harry Potter fans around the world are concerned.

According to the weekend UK Guardian newspaper: "There could hardly have been a bigger sensation if Russell Crowe, Rod Stewart or (former national England football soccer coach) Sven-Goran Eriksson had come out of the closet."

JK Rowling may well have been quite smart in how she has approached this issue.

Given the books have been marketed to children, it would conceivably have been seen by many conservative critics that outing a major character such as school headmaster Albus Dumbledore as gay in the narrative would have been a road too far for current community social standards, particularly in the polarized political environment of the key US market.

So Rowling, in doing as she has done -- and putting onto the public record for those who are interested the fact that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is gay -- accomplishes several marketing communications outcomes simultaneously.

Political

For a character in a major book -- and there have been few books that have been as highly marketed and embraced by consumers as the seven books of the Harry Potter series -- to come out as gay, is still a big deal in most markets across the globe.

Most especially so in a series marketed to children as well as adults, and outing the headmaster Albus Dumbledore character is therefore still something able to be considered to be a fairly 'political' statement.

JK Rowling clearly did not need to choose to out Dumbledore as gay - even if the character was always gay in her mind's eye when writing the Harry Potter series.

In doing so last weekend, Rowling seems to have chosen to make a statement that many in the gay community will see as a supportive stance for equality, and thereby having political overtones.

If Albus Dumbledore -- the headmaster in the most famous high school in literary history -- can be gay, and that is okay, then teachers and headmasters can rightly be gay and out of the closet in real life. As it should be in a modern and equal society.

Marketing

JK Rowling also achieves another strong communications marketing outcome in outing Dumbledore as gay.

The series is back as news in mainstream media -- and lesbian and gay media -- all across the world today. The blogosphere is on fire with the news that a Harry Potter major character is gay.

That PR is all publicity that keeps the Harry Potter books in the public eye, and all that additional marketing communications and media coverage will translate directly into the business bottom line by way of additional sales.

Gay Marketing

Whether intended or not, outing Dumbledore as gay will be a cause for celebration amongst many gays and lesbians, who see themselves represented in mainstream media far too infrequently.

For JK Rowling, the author of the most successful books in modern literature, to appear to be a supporter for gay equality is a very powerful communications statement in a world where the gay and lesbian community looks hard for allies and supporters, in an ongoing struggle for full social acceptance and complete equality.

Many gay men and lesbians comprising the gay and lesbian book-buying market will buy and read, or now re-read, the Harry Potter series additionally contented by knowing that the books' hero's Hogwarts School headmaster -- Albus Dumbledore -- is a gay man (or, erm, a gay wizard).

And that is more than okay.

Thanks JK Rowling. Nice one.

Out Now Consulting has 15 years experience in working in all facets of gay and lesbian marketing, including understanding gay and lesbian workplace diversity issues and how they affect companies targeting the gay market.

To get expert gay and lesbian marketing communications, research and marketing strategy insight, with access to the leading expert gay and lesbian target marketing advice, lesbian and gay marketing expert input, all from the leading gay and lesbian community marketing experts: contact Out Now.
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