When Netflix‘s heartwarming queer romance Heartstopper first premiered on the streaming app, the internet was a huge fan of the series’ emotional storyline and honest script. But it was Heartstopper‘s 18 and 17-year-old leads Kit Connor (Nick Nelson) and Joe Locke (Charlie Spring), who sold viewers everywhere in its emotional core — and pushed the boundaries of what a queer young adult series could look like. In a GQ cover story released earlier this week, Connor and Locke both said they were taken aback by the series’ success and felt an enormous pressure to be the faces of such an important show. All eyes are on them — something Connor said felt “like you’ve just got your license, and you’re suddenly asked to be a getaway driver. There are certain things that you’re asked and expected to do, but you feel so unbelievably unequipped.” Heartstopper was heralded by fans and writers alike for its positive representation and diverse cast, and its popularity has skyrocketed its cast into household recognition. But when Connor was cast in an upcoming romantic comedy — a straight one — that support fell out from underneath him, with hundreds of fans accusing the young actor of queerbaiting. The only problem? Connor is bi — and he said the backlash forced him to come out.
If you’re on the internet, there’s a word you’ve probably seen a lot of lately: parasocial relationships. The internet has famously changed how people view celebrities. Instead of famous people being held in a high and untouchable place, we’ve brought them down from the mountain to the average person’s level. But now, social media allows so much access to celebrities that people begin to feel like they have a relationship and are owed something from people they only see on their screens. Connor famously avoids social media as much as possible. But that clearly didn’t stop him from seeing months of comments accusing him of queerbaiting. When news of the casting in Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow first broke, Connor said he was leaving Twitter for a bit, calling the app “silly.” But the energy continued, with some even calling for Connor to either come out or leave Heartstopper if he wasn’t gay. “Is he bisexual?” one user tweeted. “We’re tired of straight actors taking non straight roles. Just find a bi actor, not that hard.”
Nearly two months ago, Connor tweeted that he planned to delete the app after being accused of “queerbaiting” when he was photographed holding hands with his A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow co-star Maia Reficco while in Paris, per Them. The term “queerbaiting” originally meant media producers hinting at queer stories to gain support of the LGBTQ+ community, without ever having plans to actually follow through on them. However, today’s fans are increasingly accusing actors of “queerbaiting” by playing queer roles while appearing to be straight in real life.
Connor, who plays the gay character Nick Nelson in Heartstopper, had been bombarded by fans with inquiries about his real-life sexuality after the show was released back in April. He tweeted in May, “Twitter is so funny man. Apparently some people on here know my sexuality better than I do.” Connor is now busy with upcoming projects including Heartstopper’s season two. Here’s what else to know about the rising star, besides the furore around his sexuality …
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