J.K Rowling announced last week that loveable wizard Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series was written as a gay character. And while the news gives a whole new spin on those closed-door meetings between himself and Harry, the move should be applauded.

Homosexuality is becoming more and more mainstream in American society. Sure there are a few sour apples, but at least humans recognize that gay men and women are in fact people too, deserving of equal treatment by everyone. Rowling is using her superstardom to promote tolerance, and anyone who would disagree with that isn’t deserving of the title of human being.

I understand that there is some debate over whether or not children should learn about homosexuality at such a young age, and that I understand, to a point. If you’re talking about the physical relationship between two men or two women, fine. But why should kids not be exposed to the concept of two daddies or two mommies?

Too often people in positions of power don’t take advantage of their status to affect positive change. Rowling recognized her position of power and took action, positive action, to right a wrong that permeates our society.

And let us not forget that the audience for Harry Potter has aged with the main character. College students were the target market when book one came out in the late 1990’s, and many have stuck with the series ever since. Indeed, the books have become increasingly filled with love and death, motifs hardly reserved for children’s books.