Arts & Entertainment
J.K. Rowling says Dumbledore and Grindelwald had a sexual relationship
The ‘Harry Potter’ author calls their partnership ‘passionate’
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has confirmed that characters Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald did have a sexual relationship.
Rowling revealed in 2007 that Dumbledore is gay and had feelings for his old friend and dark wizard Grindelwald (portrayed by Johnny Depp in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”) but it was never clear if the relationship became physical.
According to Digital Spy in a featurette for “The Crimes of Grindelwald” Blu-ray, Rowling says that their relationship progressed to be sexual.
“It was passionate, and it was a love relationship. But as happens in any relationship, gay or straight or whatever label we want to put on it, one never knows really what the other person is feeling. You can’t know, you can believe you know,” Rowling says. “So I’m less interested in the sexual side — though I believe there is a sexual dimension to this relationship — than I am in the sense of the emotions they felt for each other, which ultimately is the most fascinating thing about all human relationships.”
When the “Fantastic Beasts” sequel, which features Dumbledore and Grindelwald as younger men, was released fans were upset when director David Yates said Dumbledore wouldn’t “explicitly” be shown as gay. However, Yates noted: “They fell in love with each other’s ideas, and ideology and each other.”
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
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