Posted by
Thomas Gagne on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:00:00 AM
Why the fuss over a gay Dumbledore?
Many who cheer the Harry Potter character's outing
by series author, JK Rowling, express contempt for those that jeer it. The irony that escapes the
isn't-it-great-that-Dumbledore-is-gay crowd is that by celebrating Rowling's comments as brave and audacious they betray the
fact they haven't accepted homosexuality as normal. The real benchmark
of homosexuality's acceptance into common culture is when remarks such
as Rowling's would be otherwise unremarkable.
Another benchmark would be when The Detroit News stops publishing Deb Price
or Deb Price stops writing specifically on gay issues. Having a column
dedicated to gay topics trivializes homosexual issues to the daily
horoscope or crossword puzzle. The nation's, Michigan's, and Detroit's
issues are gay issues. Insisting gay issues are separate from America's
risks keeping gays separate. If acceptance is the goal of advocacy then
advocates might consider fewer isolating tactics.
Common
culture doesn't celebrate or overreact to the ordinary. It's hardly
noteworthy anymore that Hollywood actors and actresses seem to change
lovers and spouses with each new film, hairstyle, or
self-congratulatory awards banquet. What is noteworthy anymore is when
we discover a pair of celebrities that have been married for 20 years
or more. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward will be married 50 years this
year and recently deceased Charlton Heston was married to his wife,
Lydia Clark Heston, for 68 years.
Was anyone surprised Harry Potter married Ginnie Weasley or that Britney Spears did whatever outrageous thing she did last week?
Black
History Month is another celebration that in 2008--143 years after
General Lee's surrender, 53 years after Rosa Parks' bus ride, and 44
years since the Civil Rights Act--should be thought an anachronism. To
draw attention to the accomplishments of black Americans as peculiarly
distinguished from the accomplishments of all Americans suggests our
nation still regards black accomplishment--academic or otherwise--as a
novelty. The month-long blacks-are-people-too infomercials,
documentaries and school programs are only necessary in a culture that
either expects little of blacks, is compensating for its low
expectations, or believes annual booster shots of encouragement
inoculate black self esteem.
Think of it a four-week long
anniversary of when a child first colored inside the lines. After a few
years it's embarrassing to both the child and everyone invited to Chuck-e-Cheese's. The child is fine. It's the parents that need therapy.
As Shelby Steele suggested, it may be paternalism that keeps the training wheels on for minorities and not lack of opportunity or achievement.
It's not always a bad thing to celebrate what people ought to do,
but repeated celebration risks drawing more attention to ourselves than
the people or events we're celebrating. Our celebrations become less
about them than being counted among the revelers. Are we truly glad
Dumbledore is gay or do we only want to be seen being glad he's gay?
Are our criticisms of those protesting the announcement for our benefit
or Dumbledore's and Rowling's? Surely neither of them requires our
coming to their defense--the former is a fictional character whose
romantic attachments played no part in the plot created by the latter.
The
ordinary doesn't attract attention to itself--that's what makes it
ordinary. Unless we've come to a place where doing the right thing is
unexpected we should stop acting surprised when it happens, and stop
celebrating ourselves at the expense of others.