The 'Heartstopper' actor is opening up about his experience with coming out as bisexual.
Kit Connor is opening up about his sexuality.
The 19-year-old Heartstopper actor sits down for an interview with British Vogue, where he discusses the pressure he felt to come out as bisexual and what that experience means to him now.
In November 2022, Connor first disclosed his sexual identity after fans claimed he was "queerbaiting" by playing Nick Nelson, a bisexual teen on his Netflix show, as well as attending Pride events.
"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," the actor wrote on Twitter.
According to Connor, he had been coming to terms with his sexual orientation before he took on the role of a rugby player in Heartstopper, who is also grappling with his sexuality.
"It was just a very natural process for me; I didn’t really have an 'oh, s**t' moment. It just became more and more evident," he explains.
Though his family was "super accepting and inclusive and wonderful," he attended an all-boys school that was less understanding. "I was in a very heteronormative atmosphere," he continues. "It wasn’t hugely inclusive. It wasn’t really accepted in a lot of ways."
Connor felt like there was a narrative around bisexuals. "It’s the experience of maybe you’re too straight to be gay and you’re too gay to be straight," he says. "So it’s like, ‘Where do I sit?’ But I feel much more secure in myself now."
Discussing the belief he had to come out, Connor said, "I just felt like it wasn’t something I was ready to talk about. I wasn’t angry. I was just slightly disappointed by this reaction."
"I think there’s almost a feeling that because I’d been in the industry for a little while, there was almost this understanding that it’s like, ‘Oh, well, he can take it," he continues. "I think 'forced' isn’t the right word I would use, but I would say that I would have preferred to do it another way. I also don’t know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day, I don’t regret it. In many ways, it was really empowering."
When Connor came out, Heartstopper creator, Alice Olsen, defended him against people who accused him of "queerbaiting."
"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 tweeted. "I hope all those people are embarrassed as F**k. Kit you are amazing."
Heartstopper returns to Netflix for season 2 on Aug. 3.
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