Kit Connor

After the 18-year-old was accused of queerbaiting, he took a break from Twitter—and came back with news he may not have been ready to share.

[replied to his tweet](https://twitter.com/joelocke03/status/1587404252808417282), writing, “You owe nothing to anyone. [queerbaiting](https://www.them.us/story/what-is-queerbaiting), in which presumably straight people, often cisgender men, pretend to be queer in a bid to get attention from the LGBTQ+ community and raise their own platform. “I’m not too big on labels and things like that,” he continued. I’m so proud of you my friend.” Heartstopper author Oseman also took to Twitter to lend support to Connor, [replying to his tweet](https://twitter.com/AliceOseman/status/1587226699036610561), “I truly don’t understand how people can watch Heartstopper and then gleefully spend their time speculating about sexualities and judging based on stereotypes. Locke, Connor’s costar and love interest on the show, On Monday, the 18-year-old returned to Twitter after a seven-week absence from the social media platform and came out:

Heartstopper star Kit Connor tweeted yesterday that he was bisexual. Such a disclosure is usually accompanied with celebration and congratulations.

In Connor’s case, it insinuates that being seen with someone of the opposite sex leaves no room for someone to be bisexual or pansexual, and it assumes that being with someone of the opposite sex while identifying in such a way is wrong. Then there may be people who choose not to publicly label themselves because they are in the process of figuring out their sexuality in the first place. Not only is our sexuality a part of us that is intrinsically personal, it may also be a part of our identity many of us do not wish to label publicly.

Actor Kit Connor attends a special screening of "The Gray Man" at BFI Southbank on July 19 in London. David M. Benett/WireImage/Getty Images.

That makes some people uncomfortable (read: the current culture wars targeting [trans kids](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/us/texas-gender-affirming-care-minors-agency-employees-court-filing/index.html), [LGBTQ rights](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/17/politics/state-legislation-lgbtq-rights/index.html), [literature](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/22/us/lgbtq-book-bans-race-deconstructed-newsletter-reaj/index.html) and school policies, among other things). While it’s progress that openly queer actors are being cast in leading roles, weaponizing criticisms of queerbaiting and appropriation as an excuse to force a teen or any actor out of the closet is not the answer. There is only person who should drive that decision, and no, it’s not a Twitter troll. [openly trans actor Elliot Page](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/02/entertainment/elliot-page-transitioning-essay/index.html) today, performers have long had to live double lives and hide their true identities to remain on the A list – even to remain safe and alive. What we shouldn’t do is publicly shame someone into disclosing a part of themselves they may not be ready to or want to share. Does a cisgender person playing a transgender character amount to a White actor in blackface, or playing a role of a BIPOC person, or is there a different litmus test? Coming out is not a one-time act, or something that remains fixed, and why should it be? Would a television series or movie get attention if a star-studded cishet cast was replaced for the sake of aligning representation? It is not the way we ought to be operating as a culture. We’ve come a long way in a short time in terms of representation in media. [he addressed in a tweet](https://twitter.com/kit_connor/status/1521245416901296128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1521245416901296128%7Ctwgr%5Ecc032a48fc17da20ce25881e58f9f9b2c81e8ecf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeednews.com%2Farticle%2Fdavidmack%2Fkit-connor-heartstopper-bisexual-comes-out), saying, “twitter is so funny man. In the coming-of-age series with a refreshing, queer-forward plot, Connor plays a British high school rugby Nick Nelson, alongside classmate Charlie Spring, played by Joe Locke, who falls in love with him.

Kit Connor, the 18-year-old English actor known for his role as Nick Nelson in the Netflix series Heartstopper, came out as bisexual on Twitter on Monday ...

[Facebook Pivoted to the Metaverse](https://time.com/6225617/facebook-metaverse-anniversary-vr/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20221028). [How Far Our Climate Goals Have Slipped](https://time.com/6225631/climate-goals-un-report-global-warming/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20221028)Out of Reach, In a Single Chart “But at the same time you shouldn’t make someone feel uncomfortable to the point where they have to tell a stranger about their sexuality.” [webcomic](https://aliceoseman.com/heartstopper/the-history/) by the same name, which later became a series of graphic novels. “I believe that they are extremely helpful for some people in terms of self-understanding and self-realization, but I prefer not to think too much about labels. “I am not a big believer in labels,” Connor told Hunger. (The show has since been renewed for two more seasons.) Their peers all assume that Nick is straight, until (spoiler alert) Nick falls for Charlie, too—realizing that he bisexual in the process. Aw, thank you for telling me,” his mom responds, hugging him. “I still like girls, but, um… In a tender scene toward the end of the first season, Nick comes out to his mom (Olivia Colman). “I truly don’t understand how people can watch Heartstopper and then gleefully spend their time speculating about sexualities and judging based on stereotypes,” she tweeted.

The creator of 'Heartstopper,' as well as fans of the show and celebrities including Luke Evans, are showing support for star Kit Connor after he tweeted ...

Kit you are amazing.” The topic ( [and definition](https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/queerbaiting/)) of “queerbaiting” [resurfaced on Twitter](https://twitter.com/acegirleatscake/status/1587466618472472583), as many point out it’s used to critique the media and corporations, not human beings. bye.” The actor — who plays the bisexual rugby player Nick Nelson and falls in love with Charlie Spring (played by Joe Locke) — was recently [bullied](https://twitter.com/guephobica/status/1576283743253278720) on social media after being accused of [“queerbaiting”](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/kit-connor-heartstopper-came-out-as-bi-he-shouldnt-have-had-to) for holding hands with his A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow [co-star Maia Reficco](https://collider.com/cuban-girls-guide-to-tea-and-tomorrow-adaptation-maia-reficco-kit-connor/). [wrote](https://twitter.com/kit_connor/status/1569277820702171136) on Twitter, “back for a minute.

Los Angeles: 'Heartstopper' star Kit Connor came out as bisexual amid accusations of queerbaiting and slammed his critics for “forcing an 18 year old to out ...

“I don’t feel like I need to label myself, especially not publicly.” “I’m perfectly confident and comfortable in my sexuality, but… Los Angeles: ‘Heartstopper’ star Kit Connor came out as bisexual amid accusations of queerbaiting and slammed his critics for “forcing an 18 year old to out himself” in response to the hurtful allegations.

"Heartstopper" star Kit Connor came out as bisexual on Twitter and explained he felt "forced" to do so after he was accused of queerbaiting.

[his plans to delete the app](https://twitter.com/kit_connor/status/1569277820702171136) after he was spotted holding hands with his costar, Maia Reficco, on the set of his upcoming project which is based on the novel A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey. [Heartstopper](https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/movies-tv/a40545575/heartstopper-season-2/) star Kit Connor has officially broken his silence on Twitter and came out as bisexual after being accused of queerbaiting while filming his new movie. bye," Kit wrote on Twitter nearly two months after deleting the app.

After Heartstopper fans demanded to know if Kit Connor is straight/gay/bisexual, he outed himself. Our commentary on the controversy here.

(Sorry, Comet.) As you work on Season 2 of Heartstopper, I hope that you don’t come to associate the role with the way that you’ve been badgered but with the way that you, the whole gang and the whole show have been embraced. I hope that, as you grapple with your reaction to soulless trolls, you bear in mind the uncountable number of viewers who have been moved — often helped — by the show. [Kit Connor](https://tvline.com/tag/kit-connor/) has such a solid support system that he doesn’t have any reason to take comfort in the words of random website editors.