Kit Connor slams fans for forcing him to come out. Image Source: GQ
Kit Connor slams fans for forcing him to come out.
Heartstopper actor Kit Connor recently took to his social media account to share that he is bisexual after fans accused him of queerbaiting. The actor who was spotted walking hand-in-hand with Maia Reficco who is his co-star in "A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow," was accused of queer baiting by fans after the pictures went viral.
The actor tweeted that he was returning for a moment to reveal that he is bisexual, with a sarcastic thank you to the fans who forced him to come out. In his tweet, Kit Connor wrote that some of them missed the point of the show and added a bye in his tweet.
Kit Connor, who plays a closeted rugby player named Nick Nelson on Netflix's show Heartstopper, befriends Charlie Spring, who is played by Joe Locker, and the two of them develop a romantic relationship. The actor has been accused of queerbating online by fans. Queerbaiting is basically when an individual hint at, but not confirms, their sexuality to attract an LGBTQIA+ audience.
The 18-year-old actor had tweeted at the time that the accusations were silly and that he was now bored with everything that he had read online. Kit at the time mentioned that he was deleting Twitter. After his revelation, the creator of the Heartstopper graphic novel, Alice Oseman, came out in support of the actor.
Alice wrote that she doesn't comprehend how individuals can watch Heartstopper and then spend their spare time making assumptions about sexual orientations and passing judgment based on preconceived notions. The creator went on to say that she hopes everyone is ashamed of what they've said. Kit Connor, she added, is incredible. Co-star Joe Locker also came out in his support praising him and saying that he owes nothing to anyone adding that he is proud of him. Sebastian Croft also tweeted that the world does not deserve Kit Connor.
Some of the fans also came out to support Kit Connor, writing that they feel for him and are sending all the love they have for him. Another fan wrote that they are sorry that it has been disgustingly rough on him and that he's been treated so unfairly. Another fan said they are grateful to him for expressing it with them, but that fuck anybody who called him a queetbaiter or something like that, adding that no one, famous or not, should feel it's necessary to come out. The fan clarified that the purpose of the show is not to make assumptions about sexualities, but people do it for one of the main actors.
One of the fans explained that accusing the actor of queerbaiting people just because he was seen with someone of the opposite sex is a proof that people do not consider bisexual people 'queer enough' unless they are dating the same sex.
Kit Connor had previously opened up about the pressure he feels to label his sexuality because of the character he plays on-screen during his appearance on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast. At the time, he stated that they were still young and that making assumptions about their sexual identity put them under strain. Kit added that they may not be ready to do so at this time and should not be pressured and that he simply feels perfectly confident and at ease with his sexual identity, but he does not feel obligated to label it.
Kit mentioned that he is not too big on labels and things like that, and he is not massive about that, so he does not feel like he needs to put a label on his sexuality himself, especially not publicly.
The actor went on to say that it felt odd to draw inferences about a person's sexuality based solely on listening to their voice or just seeing their looks and that it is a very intriguing, albeit slightly troublesome, assumption to make. Alice Oseman, Kit Connor, and Joe Locker all expressed their hopes for the Netflix series in interviews with Variety, which began production on Season 2 in September.
Alice Oseman said that if their show 'Heartstopper' is able toe help a young queer individual with their coming out journey, or if it helps a parent to being able to fully comprehend their child a little better, it's going to be the most lovely and heartwarming thing one can hear, and it makes it all worthwhile.
Kit Connor added at the time that He thinks it's really beautiful to have a show where the viewer knows queer individuals being content and together and joined as a group. Kit Connor also stated that, while he believes that shows like "Euphoria," which are very queer, are still very mature in many aspects because they are so dark and gritty, he believes it is critical to have a tv series that simply portrays queer love and queer beauty, which their tv series does wonderfully.
Season One of Heartstopper is streaming on Netflix.
