Author JK Rowling revealed a decade ago that the "Harry Potter" character Dumbledore was gay, but the revelation continues to be the source of controversy.
A fan of the popular series had trouble accepting the wizard's sexuality, and asked Rowling for clarification this week.
"Thank you so much for writing Harry Potter," Ana Kocovic tweeted to the author. "I wonder why you said that Dumbledore is a gay because I can't see him in that way."
Rowling's response was swift and succinct.
"Maybe because gay people just look like…. people?" she wrote. The tweet has been favourited and retweeted tens of thousands of times.
While many interpreted Rowling's response as a lashing, the author clarified that her tweet was not meant to belittle Kocovic.
"My reply to her question was gentle and her response was very sweet," she said. Indeed, Kocovic thanked Rowling for her response, according to The Independent. Kocovic has since deleted her tweets.
Rowling first explained Dumbledore's sexuality after the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
"I always thought of Dumbledore as gay," she said at a reading of the book at Carnegie Hall. "Dumbledore fell in love with [Gellert] Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was."
She has defended the controversial choice in subsequent statements and in response to dissenting "Harry Potter" fans.
"It has certainly never been news to me that a brave and brilliant man could love other men," Rowling asserted.
"He is my character. He is what he is and I have the right to say what I say about him."
"Deathly Hallows" was the final book in the "Harry Potter" series.
