Is Clive Barker gay?

Yes and quite openly I believe. Good for him.

Yeah. I thought that was common knowledge in the horror lit world. He's gay.

Oh yeah, and Coldheart Canyon is one of the most fucked up disturbing satires I've ever read. It's excellent.

Wow. I missed this too...

(moe syzlak voice)and you know what else?....broadway...

Um...wow. I think you're the last person left on Earth that didn't know that. Congrats!

I'm sarcastic because I love--->

Dan, that's surprising. I thought everyone knows about it. But, yeah, he's quite open about his sexuality. He's one of my inspirations when it comes to writing.

I remember watching Politically incorrect one night several years ago when Barker was a guest. He made a casual reference to the fact that he was gay and host Bill Maher did a double take. That was the first HE had heard of it. It was also the first I had heard of it. I had never read much about his personal life, just enjoyed his stories and art. Looking back, some of his artwork should have clued me in. I liked the fact that Barker was just talking about it on national TV without blinking. He wasn't making a big issue about it, but he wasn't hiding it either.

Just so you know.. Little Richard is NOT gay....

eh?

being gay is one thing, but food products!?!?

I was in ManRay (a goth/gay/fetish club in Boston) flipping through a gay/lesbian newspaper and there was an article about Barker finally publicly announcing his gender preference, I figured it was about time, so much of his writing has reference to homosexuality I figured if anything he was bi or very experimental. This was quite some time ago, I think I was something like 18 or 19 at the time.

I'm surpised none of you heard the ghost of Girlcreeture's adolescent crush weeping sadly to herself the day he came out.

didn't he release a book of his photographs of naked men?i'm being completely serious i think i saw it for sale on his website.

Having read his some works and not knowing exactly for sure until now. I kinda figured he was bi or gay.

David Armstrong is the photographer who is working on a book of male nudes, not Clive.
Hey Dan. I thought Coldheart Canyon was a pretty good ghost story. Part of the fun for me was trying to figure out who he based his characters on. I read somewhere that most of the people in the story are real people in Hollywood. He had to change the names to protect himself from a lawsuit.

I heard about it on Loveline. Him and Todd McFarlene were on for the new Tortured Souls line and then he started talking about his husband and stuff...me and the friend who were listening were very suprised. I was shocked, I had no idea. But power to him, keep up the good work no matter which lifestyle you choose.

Yeah, that was David, but David's taken nude photos of Clive before, one of which appeared in a limited edition of "Books of Blood."

Clive's been out for some time and been with David Armstrong for quite some time as well. David has a young daughter (11-12 years old) that Clive acts as a semi-step-father to (Clive refers to David as his husband in conversation and does dote over him). The two of them also share a number of dogs and seem, on the outside, to have a pretty solid/cool relationship.

And oh, fuck - I wish I could post photos in here. I have a couple of great shots of Clive and David together and then them with David's daughter, too that I snapped at some thing or another.

No, I hit on him.

"Later in the evening, I was consorting with the SAME powerful force that had been aiding me in my Con-quest, and it pointed out to me that CLIVE BARKER was approaching. I was dim and confused, but eventually, the excessively coolish Clivus and your Hot Animal Machine were face to face.

And, as seemed to be par for the course that weekend, my statements were a bit…odd.

We shook hands - and the first thing I noticed was that Mr. Barker is possessed of an iron grip!

I was amazed! I’ve not seen Clive for about two years, and I was shocked to see that he was in near-bodybuilding form.

“Jesus, Clive - YOU’RE SO RIPPED!” I blurted.

He looked kinda’ surprised.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you,” I continued, “and you’re in absolutely phenomenal shape, sir.”

Clive grinned his squinty-eyed Clive grin and flexed his bicep. “I HAVE TO BE!” he shot back (although I’m still not sure for what purpose he needed to suddenly be built like Bruce Lee)…

Shortly thereafter, the Future of Horror departed, and I was left with an amazing realization…

I JUST HIT ON CLIVE BARKER.

Which, I’d like to state is just TOO wrong.

I mean, fer cryin’ out loud - he’s got a boyfriend already!"

who is Clive Barker?

I met Clive at a booksigning in Ohio several years ago. Anyway I knew he had a male partner but seeing him at Clive's side I became aware he was also black. I think that might have had something to do with that character in Galilee. Also... anyone who read Sacrament and didn't figure out Clive was gay is... .....hmm.... can't put 2 and 2 together very well.

I was talking to Clive about Sacrement once, before it was released. I asked him what it was about, and - in that magical Clivey way, he said (and honestly, he pounced toward me as he said it) -

"It's about a GAY MAN who saves the world from MONS-Terrrs!!"

The way he said "monsters", and the infectious smile was too fucking cool for words. I really thought to myself, "Clive is very gay and I love him so much."

Then he added -

"Whether you're gay, straight, black or white - EVERYONE'S afraid of MONS-Terrs!!"

For awhile - and a bit to this day - "EVERYONE'S afraid of MONS-Terrrs!!" is an inside joke/catchphrase among my friends and I. Clive is so much fun - I smile just thinking about it. He's a great mind and seemingly a very warm person (I've only spoken to him three times), and I'd follow him into Hell.

Clive Barker is one cute bastard.

That's all I have to add to this thread.

And if i may act like an immature tittle-tatler for a brief moment, if anyone's ever seen "The Forbidden" Clive's rather splendid short film he made with Doug Bradley and Pete Atkins many noons ago in Liverpool, you'll see himm prancing around with a rather significant and stupendous appendage locating the path to true north - the young man's hung like a donkey on steroids from that evidence. I guess it's always been in his work and it's a testament to his stirling talents that it's never been an issue before.

I think Tony Timpone lamented in a Fango editorial some time back that Clive felt the need to come out after being asked about it all the time and what a sad day it was that he felt forced to do so. On the plus side, I don't think I've seen a more heart-warming picture than one I saw in a book (can't recall which) with Clive and David in a pool with a dolphin: most families could WISH for that kind of happiness.

My own amusing Clive story:

Back in the early nineties, when I was still living in the wilds of West Texas, I regularly attended the Dallas Fantasy Fair (now a thing of the past) at which I had my own booth in the independent comics section. All those who were taking part in the con as vendors were issued generic nametags which featured a blank box in which you were to write your own name - along the lines of "Hi, my name is "insert name here." As a running joke, I always wrote in the name of some comics luminary that I could not possibly be.

On one particular occasion, I'd penciled in the name "Neil Gaiman," which is pretty funny, since I'm 6'4 and not remotely British. At one point during the con, I was making the rounds of the main room, and I happened to find myself standing next to Barker near a booth (he was there promoting something or other) and he looked at me, then looked down at my nametag and grinningly proclaimed "My God, Neil, you've CHANGED!"

--MM

You're not alone Dan but then I'm clueless about a lot of things. The man does great work.