LGBT Students at Hogwarts? 'But of Course,' Says J.K. Rowling

And Harry Potter taught us that 'no one should live in a closet,' the author says.

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

December 18 2014 2:29 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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LGBT fans of the Harry Potter books and films have long believed our people were among the students at Hogwarts, and now author J.K. Rowling has confirmed that.

In a public Twitter chat with fans this week, Rowling answered a query on the subject by saying "but of course" there were LGBT students at the school of wizardry, although that was never stated outright in the series. She also tweeted a graphic with the words "If Harry Potter taught us anything, it's that no one should live in a closet." At his muggle aunt and uncle's house, Harry had to live in a closet under a staircase.

Rowling, who several years ago said she envisioned headmaster Albus Dumbledore as gay, also said in the Twitter chat that almost every religious belief or lack thereof was represented at Hogwarts. For instance, a Jewish student, Anthony Goldstein, was among the first group of pupils she created. "The only people I never imagined there are Wiccans," she tweeted. Wiccans have "a different concept of magic to the one laid out in the books, so I don't really see how they can co-exist," she added.

For those who've been missing Harry and his cohorts since the last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in 2007 (and the films based on it were released in 2010 and 2011), Rowling has been offering a new story on her website Pottermore.