Jackie Collins says she includes gay
characters in her novels in honor of her “first gay crush.”
In an interview with gay glossy Out,
Collins said she has always included gay characters in her novels.
“Before AIDS, before gay men were
even talked about in books, unless it was a gay book,” Collins
said. “Before women talked about sex.”
“I've written 29 books, and I've
always had gay characters, right from the very beginning.”
Collins said she included gay
characters in memory of Peter, a gay teen she knew who killed himself
over his sexuality.
“When I was 15 and thrown out of
school, I went to a drama school, a preparatory academy in England,
and there was this lovely guy there called Peter. He was my first
gay crush, really, and we got along like a house on fire – and one
day he committed suicide.”
“I'll never forget Peter. … He just
couldn't come out, and then he killed himself.”
“That made me think really deeply
about the problems that some poor guys go through when they want to
come out,” she added.