The outing of Albus Dumbledore

By now, you've no doubt seen the news, probably the biggest news story in months, a revelation that will surely change your life.

The news: Albus Dumbledore is gay.

And there's only one word I can think of to describe this earth-shattering, ground-breaking development: Yawn.

In case you don't know, Albus Dumbledore is the beloved headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the fictional setting in the hugely popular "Harry Potter" books. Dumbledore's sexual orientation is never mentioned in the books, but author J.K. Rowling outed the fictional character during a public appearance Friday, in response to a question from the audience.

The reaction to the news will no doubt follow a well-trodden script.

From the Christian right, we'll hear the criticisms. No doubt the outing of Dumbledore will be just another opportunity for the book-burners of the world to declare the inherent evil of the "Potter" series, and clamor for the books to be removed from public schools and public libraries. They'll denounce the new-age political correctness that Rowling may or may not be promoting.

And on cue, we'll hear from the "progressives," of the world, who will trip over themselves in their race to praise Rowling for her "courage" and "bravery." They'll denounce anyone who criticizes the "Potter" books as closed-minded bigots, and canonize Rowling as an idol in the international crusade for "tolerance."

Quite frankly, this is a trite storyline, and I'm quite sick of it.

I've been a big fan of the "Potter" books, and I see no reason to change that. I'll keep the books on my shelves and watch the movies. The books are just what they are, and no new "revelation" made by the author after the fact is going to change what I think about them. So what if Dumbledore is gay? I couldn't care less than if Rowling suddenly revealed that Dean Thomas is left-handed or Luna Lovegood dyes her hair. It just doesn't matter. The books have been written. The story is over.

But therein lies what could be part of what fueled this latest news. After selling about a bajillion copies of the final "Potter" book — "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" — over the summer, the book has been making its way down the best-seller lists. And while it would be ludicrous to suggest Rowling needs to boost book sales, you have to wonder if the multi-millionaire author has missed being in the limelight. After all, with the release of "Hallows," the "Potter" series was supposedly concluded. There are no more stories to write. Could it be that Rowling isn't quite ready to put the series to bed, thus leading her to make dramatic, yet undisclosed until now, revelations about characters? It certainly served as a way for Rowling to get her name back in headlines, at least for a couple of weeks.

But no matter. Dumbledore is Rowling's brain-child, and she can do with him what she wants. And if the pop culture world wants to follow Rowling down this road of fabricated controversy, they're welcome to do so, insipid and boring as that road might be.

As for me, I'm staying out of it. I just want to read the books, watch the movies and enjoy them. You should be able to do such things without having to make a political statement.