Sexual orientation

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Sexual orientation is a pattern of romantic and/or sexual attraction to other people.^[1] Some orientations are: heterosexuality (attraction to people of the opposite sex), homosexuality (attraction to people of the same sex), bisexuality (attraction to people of both sexes) and asexuality (lack of sexual attraction or desire).

While homosexuality often made people the target of discrimination, harassment and violence in the Muggle world, witches and wizards tended to be tolerant of or indifferent toward gays and lesbians.^[2][3] Wizarding prejudices were instead concerned with a person's blood status and magical prowess.^[2][3] Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was considered a "safe place" for LGBT individuals.^[4]

Known LGBT individuals

Albus Dumbledore

In his youth, Albus Dumbledore, who was gay, fell in love with his best friend, Gellert Grindelwald.^[5] His feelings initially blinded him to the harmfulness of Grindelwald's anti-Muggle views and caused him to "[lose] his moral compass completely."^[5][6] Due to the love he had for Grindelwald, Dumbledore agreed to make a blood pact with him, which would make them unable to fight one another, and would keep them working together on their For the Greater Good plans. Grindelwald eventually revealed himself to be a Dark wizard willing to use any means to achieve his ends, and Dumbledore's love for him only magnified his horror at this revelation.^[5] Dumbledore's sexual orientation was seemingly not a secret in the wizarding world decades later, since Department of Magical Law Enforcement Head Torquil Travers questioned weather or not it was Dumbledore's past love that kept him from facing Grindelwald directly, and Dumbledore openly admitted to Travers that he and Grindelwald had been "closer than brothers." Afterward, Dumbledore mistrusted his own judgement in matters of the heart and "became quite asexual," leading a "celibate and bookish life."^[6]

Gellert Grindelwald

In his youth, Gellert Grindelwald, who was gay, fell in love with his best friend, Albus Dumbledore. Due to the love they had for each other, they both agreed in making a blood pact, which would make them unable to fight one another, and would keep them working together on their For the Greater Good plans. Grindelwald eventually revealed himself to be a Dark wizard willing to use any means to achieve his ends, and Dumbledore's love for him only magnified his horror at this revelation.^[5] Grindelwald's sexual orientation was seemingly not a secret in the wizarding world decades later, since Department of Magical Law Enforcement Head Torquil Travers questioned Dumbledore weather or not it was his past love for Grindelwald kept him from facing him directly. Dumbledore openly admitted to Travers that he and Grindelwald had been "closer than brothers."

Behind the scenes

• In J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life, J. K. Rowling was asked if Charlie Weasley was gay, to which she responded that he was not, but was instead "more interested in dragons than women." Although Rowling did not actually use the word "asexual" in reference to a sexual orientation, some fans have taken this as canon evidence that Charlie is somewhere on the asexual spectrum.
• David Thewlis has said that Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron told him to portray Remus Lupin as a "gay junkie".^[7]
• It has been speculated that dating characters of the same gender as one's player character may be possible as part of a romance mechanic in a future update of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.^[8] When playing as a male character, the character Barnaby Lee admits to being attracted to the player over Ismelda Murk.

Notes and references