Kit Connor, the 18-year-old actor who stars as Nick Nelson in the Netflix series Heartstopper, recently spoke out against those who make assumptions about people’s sexuality based on their looks or mannerisms. In a video with his co-star Joe Locke, 19, Kit discussed a scene from the series where Nick confronts his homophobic friend Harry Greene (Cormac Hyde-Corrin). In the show, Harry assumes Nick is straight, but when he makes cruel comments at Charlie’s expense, an argument erupts.
“There are many ways to view masculinity in Heartstopper,” said Kit. “The idea that you can tell someone’s sexuality based on the way that they look, the way that they talk, the way that they walk, the way that they dress, is quite frankly ridiculous and it’s really quite harmful.” He went on to note that Heartstopper sends a strong message to viewers that making assumptions about people’s sexuality is wrong.
Kit himself has been the subject of intense scrutiny about his sexuality. Last year, he was accused of queerbaiting, and in response he came out as bisexual, though he felt “forced” to do so. His co-star Olivia Colman applauded his bravery in dealing with such public scrutiny and noted that people should be allowed to have their own journey when it comes to their sexuality.
Heartstopper season 2 is set to air soon on Netflix. The show has already made big strides when it comes to representation of LGBTQ+ characters and storylines, and with Kit’s advocacy for the acceptance of all sexualities, it’s sure to continue doing so in the future.
