Kit Connor Says He’s Bi And Felt Forced To Come Out
On Tuesday, November 1, Heartstopper star Kit Connor returned to Twitter with a short yet effective message. The 18-year-old actor revealed that he is bisexual and that the internet rhetoric around queerbaiting made him feel pressured to come out.
IS THIS REALLY OUR GOAL AS A COMMUNITY?
The response to Netflix’s Heartstopper has been beyond enthusiastic with the young stars being launched into mainstream stardom overnight. Kit Connor has experienced a darker side of the fanfare with a rabid debate emerging over whether he is gay, bi or straight.
Queerbaiting is a valid issue to be concerned about. For many LGBTQIA+ folks, real queer representation is not only vital but also severely lacking in many media formats. But debates over an individual person’s sexuality, especially one as young as Connor, is a particularly contentious talking point.
After the debate and pressure from online communities built to a crescendo, Kit Connor opted to leave Twitter in early September, 2022 saying he felt the app was “silly”. Instinct reports that this did little to quell the continued questioning of the young actor’s sexuality and it put significant strain on Connor.
DNA OPINION
Regardless of age, no-one should be forced to come out before they’re ready. Everyone’s journey is unique and there are personal circumstances that challenge their path to coming out. For Kit Connor, being forced out of the closet at such a young age on such a public platform may be traumatising for him, and it is a poor reflection on those who called for his sexuality to be labelled so explicitly.
