Heartstopper's Kit Connor has just come out as bisexual, but it’s not a joyous occasion.
There has been much speculation about the 18-year-old actor’s sexuality since he took on the role of Nick Nelson in the popular Netflix series, which premiered earlier this year. But beyond speculation, some people accused Connor of “queerbaiting” because he declined to announce his sexuality to the world and was eventually photographed holding hands with a woman.
Even though Connor seemed to do his best to ignore those demanding he label himself publicly for some time, something seemed to break his resolve this week, resulting in him tweeting out that he’s bisexual.
There are a lot of different factors at play in this conversation, ranging from fans’ increased access to actors in the world of social media, the propensity to speculate that a public figure might be queer and the excitement that surrounds that, and the ongoing conversation about whether only out queer actors should be cast in queer roles.
The idea of “queerbaiting” is also a major point in this conversation. The term has generally been used to describe media that took advantage of its queer fanbase by hinting at characters being queer or interested in one another romantically – with no intent to follow through with it. The way it’s been coopted by social media to attack real-life people is strange, oftentimes cruel, and always inaccurate. A person choosing not to label their sexuality is not queerbaiting, by any definition.
Speculating that a public figure might be queer isn’t inherently wrong either, and it can easily be argued that to claim otherwise reinforces heteronormative ideals. However, it’s imperative to remember there’s a difference between speculation and demand, something clearly lost in this scenario.
Still, we’re glad to welcome Connor into the LGBTQ+ community, even if it is under far less than ideal circumstances.
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