Jacqueline Wilson ‘delighted’ to be called a gay icon after coming out
Jacqueline Wilson came out publicly in 2020 at the age of 74. (Getty/Canva)
Iconic British author Jacqueline Wilson says she’s “delighted” to be considered a gay icon after coming out publicly.
The 78-year-old children’s writer, best known for her Tracy Beaker book series, said that she was “very touched” to be thought of as a gay icon and said the accolade was an “absolute delight“.
Wilson came out to the world in 2020 after announcing she was in a long-term relationship with a woman.
Since then, she published her first adult novel, Think Again, a sequel to her children’s book series Girls, featuring character Ellie Allard and her best friends Nadine and Magda.
The latest instalment in the series, which sees the characters grow up, explores same-sex relationships and several other themes.
Speaking to the BBC, Wilson said the idea first came to her after her daughter asked what happens to her characters when they grow up.
“In real time the girls would be hitting 40,” she said. “That’s a significant age where you have to make big decisions, and, for some people, life doesn’t look like what you dreamt of as a teenager.”
While Wilson is no stranger to exploring difficult or heavy themes in her books, her first depiction of a gay protagonist came in 2020 with Love Frankie.
Explaining why it had taken so many years to include an LGBTQ+ character in her work, Wilson commented: “There would have been far more ‘oh my gosh Jacqueline has written about someone who is gay’ whereas now it’s not a big deal.”
Though she is aware of the parallels between her own relationship and the latest book, which sees Ellie finding herself falling in love with a woman, she doesn’t want that to be the focus.
“I’m aware that people will think that there are parallels but that’s not the intention, I was just being imaginative when I wrote the book.”
She added: “We don’t need to just think that everyone is either straight or gay. Of course I’m not suggesting we chop and change all the time, but for my generation it didn’t occur that you could be attracted to all sorts of people, so we’ve definitely become much more grown up.”
