The British children’s writer opened up about the response she got after coming out in 2020
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Beloved children’s writer Jacqueline Wilson has said that she’s still surprised when people call her a “gay icon”. In an interview with the BBC, Jacqueline reflected on her own queer journey.
After coming out in 2020 by announcing her relationship with Trish Beswick, Jacqueline was quickly welcomed into the queer community. She had, after all, been a staple to a vast majority of queer kids due to the realistic stories she told about childhood and teenagehood.
“I’m very touched to be thought of as a gay icon, it’s an absolute delight,” she told the BBC.
Jacqueline has recently published her first adult book Think Again, a sequel to her popular Girls series, which will look at the lives of the beloved characters as they approach 40. In this new book, Jacqueline has delved into same-sex relationships. This isn’t the first time Jacqueline has explored queer issues in her books, with her 2020 book Love Frankie starring a gay protagonist.
Reflecting on her earlier work, Jacqueline admitted that she could have written about queer characters sooner. “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,” she explained.
She also spoke about moving away from thinking about sexuality in such a binary way. “We don’t need to just think that everyone is either straight or gay,” she said. “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.”
In her constant advocacy for telling real-life stories, Jacqueline has always championed underrepresented stories. Her work has resonated with the LGBTQIA community, earning her the well-deserved title of “gay icon”.
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