Heartstopper star Kit Connor recently came out as bisexual. While that would usually be a cause for celebration, Connor's announcement came on the heels of fan harassment that accused him of “queerbaiting.” The actor noted in his statement that he felt forced to come out of the closet.
Heartstopper is a young adult series on Netflix starring Connor as Nick Nelson and Joe Locke as Charlie Spring, two teens who fall in love with one another. The series' showrunner and creator is Alice Oseman, who wrote the graphic novels on which Heartstopper is based. The show explores many themes and motifs of LGBTQ+ identity, including coming to terms with one’s sexuality, first love, and internalized homophobia.
Connor came out on Twitter with the statement, “Back for a minute. I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.” Fans rallied around Connor following his tweet, and Oseman was direct in her own statement. “I truly don’t understand how people can watch Heartstopper and then gleefully spend their time speculating about sexualities and judging based on stereotypes," Oseman said. "I hope all those people are embarrassed as F***. Kit you are amazing.”
Connor's outing follows months of speculation about his sexuality. Many overzealous fans have pored over his social media, looking for “hints” or “clues” about his sexuality. Others have accused him of queerbaiting, a practice which is usually reserved for fictional works where a show, novel, movie, or another form of media may include hints that a character or characters might be LGBTQ+ but won’t follow through with actual or impactful representation. An example of this might be Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's infamous background gay kiss, which was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment that was easy to cut in foreign markets.
The fanbase of Heartstopper, which skews young, is composed of plenty of LGBTQ+ individuals. Though many have defended Connor's right to privacy, a small but vocal minority chose to harass Connor until he made this statement. The statement reflects a need for further societal development, as acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is still contested (just look at Florida's Don't Say Gay bill), and even within its own members, faces struggles that can severely impact someone’s life.
Unfortunately, the situation highlights two extremes that can impact Connor's career: The lack of opportunities for LGBTQ+ actors and censorship of gay media on one side (ex. Fanstastic Beasts 3 edits in China), and the invasion of privacy towards someone’s orientation on the other. It’s also part of a larger conversation regarding LGBTQ+ actors playing LGBTQ+ roles. Hopefully, Connor heals from this, unfortunate though the situation may be.
Heartstopper is streaming on Netflix.
Source: Kit Connor/Twitter