Arts & Entertainment
Harry Potter fans throw #JKRowlingIsOverParty, protest character’s sexuality
Twitter filled with disappointed readers
(Screenshot via YouTube)
J.K. Rowling is feeling the backlash on Twitter from Harry Potter fans who believed she had revealed the sexuality of a popular Harry Potter character.
One Harry Potter fan tweeted Rowling asking a series of questions, one of which included inquiring if fan favorite character Sirius Black was gay.
@jk_rowling 4) “Will Robin actually marry Matthew?”
5. “Is Sirius Black gay?”
6. “Are you sure he’s not gay?”
7. “Are you REALLY sure?”2/2
— Ardit Haliti (@ardit_haliti) September 6, 2016
Rowling changed her Twitter biography in what appeared to be answers to the questions and seemed to confirm that Black was a heterosexual character.
Some fans were disappointed to learn Black wasn’t an LGBT character and the trending hashtag #JKRowlingIsOverParty began. Although Rowling has said Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore was a gay character, some fans were still looking for more acknowledged representation in the series.
jk rowling says she supports lgbt which is great but would it kill her to make a character lgbt and actually acknowledge that in her books
— elisa⚡️ (@kingwallywest) August 31, 2016
remember that time when JK Rowling represented & supported our community and made LGBT+ youth everywhere feel empowered? me neither
— Rob (@robnoon7) September 1, 2016
Others didn’t see an issue with Rowling not confirming Black as a gay character and used the hashtag to address the upset fans.
So people are really trippin out over the sexuality of a fictional character? Someone that isn’t even real? ? #JKRowlingIsOverParty
— Darius Benson (@MrLegenDarius) September 6, 2016
#JKRowlingIsOverParty If you’re not liking the fact that Sirius is straight, wait until you find out he’s not even real…
— Polly Parrott (@PollyKParrott) September 6, 2016
So #JKRowlingIsOverParty bc a FICTIONAL character isn’t gay? pic.twitter.com/DvrEKGlwgY
— Gucci (@hesology) September 6, 2016
According to Rowling, she never revealed any information about Black’s sexuality and the answers in her Twitter biography were not responding to inquiries if Black is gay. Rowling also referred to some tweets about the situation as “a ton of abuse.”
@Danbo12 There was no news, none at all, just leaping to mistaken conclusions and a ton of abuse.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 6, 2016
@hoImesnwatson No, the last three ‘answers’ in my bio refer to the person who has dominated my notifications for the past 5 days.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 6, 2016
Rowling wrapped up the party by thanking fans for their support and love.
I’d just like to say, because it would be downright rude not to, THANK YOU for the huge number of wonderful messages I’ve been sent tonight.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 6, 2016
Twitter’s a strange place at times, but for every bit of hate I’ve received I’ve always had so much more love and support. Obrigada a todos!
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 6, 2016
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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