J.K. and the Gay Character

I've never been one to bash the whole Harry Potter thing. Not planning to anytime soon. I know a few people who think its evil, yada yada yada. But I know a lot of folks who have read the entire series, and enjoyed the fantasy & adventure of a well-told story.

Recently, JK Rowling, the billionaire genius who wrote these books and is riding her broom all the way to the bank, told an audience somewhere that one of the main characters in the books (and movies) is gay. This never came out in any of the stories, but is only a concoction in her literary mind.

Well, its her story, and she can make the characters look, sound, and behave however she wants. That's what authors do. But isn't it odd that some 4 months or so after the release of the last book, she comes out with this little nugget of info that a casual reading of the books doesn't expose? Just seems a little pointless to bring it up anyway, but the timing is what strikes me most. Funny, she didn't bother to point that out earlier, like between, oh, say, books 3 and 4. When people are standing in line to buy each new book as it comes out and kids are pulling all-nighters to read & find out what happens next. No, lets keep that nugget a secret. After all, no need to discourage anyone from buying, right? No need to give those way out on the Christian right even more fuel for their fire, right?

Don't get me wrong. It wouldn't change the story line (and didn't), and she and the publishers would still be billionaires (they are). But why let the cat out of the bag now (or the Dumbledore out of the closet). Just odd, pointless, and a bit shady, me thinks.