celeb news Kit Connor: Heartstopper fans forced me to come out

[Protocol]

He wouldn't have tweeted this without consulting with his manager, publicist, agent, etc

 

It's giving PR stunt. He now has people talking about him, media attention and his profile is higher. Smart if so.

[Bloo]

9 minutes ago, Machete said:

Sorry but both his tweet trying home in on being "18 years old" and his defenders calling him "just a kid" are sending  He is a full adult. 

That point is even more embarrassing when you remember the people who were "harassing" him are 14 year olds on Twitter 

Literally nothing magically changes about you from when you are 17 and turn 18. He’s still a teenager. He’s a kid. Legally, he’s an adult. Sure. But that number is subjectively chosen. 

[J-esper]

5 hours ago, GraceRandolph said:

Sorry, but we need labels. Someone wanting to be “unlabeled” can literally mean anything from bicurious to 99% gay. We need concrete ways to define ourselves as a community. 

Why though? Are you and a lot of others so insecure in your own sexuality that you want the other party to have a complete manual ready? Even if you feel comfortable under a label there are still loads of things you can figure out about your preferences and sexual identity.all together. Hell even things can change down the line or evolve.

 

Like would it really help you in your own insecurity if someone says I am a bisexual that prefers guys 99% of the time, only for them to eventually fall in love with a woman and spent the rest of the life with them?

 

Labels mainly help to function in society because OTHERS are dumb, narrowminded, insecure or can't deal if things are uncertain or unknown to them. That is why non-binary identities also cause a lot of hatred because a lot of people hate things they can't define and don't want to adapt.

 

And even in the LGBTQ+ community people love to jump through hoops. Gays being biphobic just like that one member here, discrediting others identity or the odd mindset that transphobic gays have that if you as a cis gay man date a trans gay man you should label yourself pansexual or bisexual. 

 

Let people have their own journey, labels are not needed. Especially when the LGBTQ+ community itself is far from a safe space to be yourself.

[Blade Runner]

26 minutes ago, Bloo said:

The way the queerbaiting term has been changed in recent years is insane. The term was originally created to call out fictional stories that would have queer-adjacent characters that weren’t explicitly depicted as queer but presented as such via subtext to pick up queer audiences. A good example is Xena and Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess. So many people followed their relationship where the show heavilty teased them having a romantic/sexual relationship but it was never explicitly confirmed—while the characters would have explicit relationships with men. Nonetheless, because lesbian representation was so nonexistent, lesbian women really identified with the characters and the relationship became a widely-regard lesbian portrayal in the 90s despite it never being explicitly confirmed. That is a ironclad case of queerbaiting. The Wikipedia definition below:

This obsession with individual actors’ real-life identities is absurd. I get it with trans people because cisgender men playing transgender women by putting on a dress is extremely harmful by portraying transwomen as the punchline of a cheap joke and reinforces the idea that transwomen are just men playing dress-up. The dynamics at play are very different for sexual orientation and this obsession with purity in this regard does not benefit anyone. Kit isn’t the only member of the cast to face harsh treatment from toxic online fans. It’s really unfortuante how much members in the community (and self-proclaimed allies) have squandered a show with really solid LGBTQ+ representation.

Yeah, pretty much this. I understand some complains about straight people wanting to appeal to a certain audience and trying to connect with them by not "labeling" their sexuality. It makes them more "interesting" and "cool", but this is not the case. Heartstopper is a well-thought out, nuanced show, and people were just doing too much. 

 

I mean, he commented on a pic of his rumored girlfriend and these were some of the comments. 

 

 

Imagine reading that at 18 years old. Sick and twisted. 

 

Even on this thread there are some individuals acting incredibly cynical towards his true intentions as if Hearstopper isn't one of Netflix biggest shows. He doesn't need this sh+t to boost his profile. 

Edited November 1, 2022 by Blade Runner

[DevonRoars]

5 hours ago, GraceRandolph said:

Is coming out so horrible? I don’t get it. If you’re not comfortable with that aspect of yourself don’t play roles where you are LGBT. 

Honestly. It’s not that deep.

[Blue Rose]

5 hours ago, GraceRandolph said:

Is coming out so horrible? I don’t get it. If you’re not comfortable with that aspect of yourself don’t play roles where you are LGBT. 

Yikes. There’s just no sign of compassion or understanding or love in this post

Coming out is horrible. Many lose their entire families which was their life foundation. People grow up being told that being gay is a sin and that they will go to hell. It takes time to process all that trauma and then learn to love yourself again. Forcing someone who is not ready to come out to come out is cruel. It’s a process. Some need no time at all and others need years. 
Please be mindful of what you post online because that was trash

[Johnny Jacobs]

And some wonder why there's hate towards the community 

 

Poor kid 

[Drowned8World]

poor him, he's so brave!!1 

[Machete]

39 minutes ago, Bloo said:

Literally nothing magically changes about you from when you are 17 and turn 18. He’s still a teenager. He’s a kid. Legally, he’s an adult. Sure. But that number is subjectively chosen. 

My point would be the same if he were 17. Age does not play a factor into this conversation when the people who were "harassing" him are tweens  He is fully able to ignore children online (something he claimed he did by deleting Twitter), it doesn't take a 30 year old to do that. 

 

He mentioned the age in the tweet in an act to play up sympathy. While I disagree with the "attacks" he got, why is he acting like he is facing such a big injustice by being "forced" to come out. He is the lead in a GAY TV show, playing a GAY character. He is also decently wealthy (can more than support himself) and living in a country where he is not in danger for being gay. He has nothing to worry about from the act of coming out  He will not lose any fans, roles or money.

 

Also, as it's been said in the thread before both he and the creators of the show had already alluded to him being on the LGBT spectrum, so this is not exactly life-changing information 

[Bloo]

13 minutes ago, Machete said:

My point would be the same if he were 17. Age does not play a factor into this conversation when the people who were "harassing" him are tweens  He is fully able to ignore children online (something he claimed he did by deleting Twitter), it doesn't take a 30 year old to do that. 

 

He mentioned the age in the tweet in an act to play up sympathy. While I disagree with the "attacks" he got, why is he acting like he is facing such a big injustice by being "forced" to come out. He is the lead in a GAY TV show, playing a GAY character. He is also decently wealthy (can more than support himself) and living in a country where he is not in danger for being gay. He has nothing to worry about from the act of coming out  He will not lose any fans, roles or money.

 

Also, as it's been said in the thread before both he and the creators of the show had already alluded to him being on the LGBT spectrum, so this is not exactly life-changing information 

Please read before you comment. (1) Heartstopper is an LGBTQ+ show. (2) He plays a BISEXUAL character. (3) Tweens calling for him to be recast and attacking him, the show as a whole, and others because they think be is “queerbaiting” for allegedly dating a woman while playing a bisexual is literal brain worms. 
 

As for his age, it is entirely relevant. I don’t know how old you are, but 18 year olds are naturally more insecure, timid, and sensitive than older adults. His response reads like that of a sensitive teenager because that’s exactly what he is. The idea that a teenager responds to disgustingly harsh comments on his entire identity in a sensitive way is… expected? Like he’s literally a teenager. I’m not sure why you’re expecting him to navigate such a subject with the media training of a longtime veteran. Further, sexuality is such a touchy subject for so many people. He felt comfortable navigating it at his own pace and that does not need to include declaring what genitals he prefers on the Internet. Nobody is owed that information, especially when he’s simply portraying a fictional character. Also, I’m not quite sure why general physical safety is the value function you’re using to measure HIS comfort with coming out. Nobody can comment on someone else’s comfort level with coming out. That is to the individual. It is a known fact that being openly LGBTQ+ affects the way talent agencies view you. Several openly LGBTQ+ artists have commented on how it has affected their careers since. Letting a person navigate their professional and public life at a pace they feel comfortable is basic human decency. I’m sorry it’s lost on you and countless others. 
 

As has been mentioned in this thread, the fact that the showmakers already alluded to that should have been enough for the fans to forego them harassing him, the girl they think he’s dating, and others on this subject. But that’s not the case.

 

It’s really strange to me how a forum full of members of the LGBTQ+ community are taking more issue with him than the circumstances surrounding this? The general lack of empathy for Kit is really discouraging and disappointing. 

[bluebirdsforever]

5 hours ago, Communion said:

Yeah, I feel bad for him, but also the showrunners set him up basically when trying to push descriptive diversity and representation as some kind of marketing campaign. "The actors match the sexuality/gender identity of their characters" basically implies that every actor has an identity they've decided on and are fine with being public, when clearly he was not ready to be public and the show should have never tried to use that angle for promotion. 

 

It shows the lack of depth "this show is by LGBT people / has LGBT actors and thus you as LGBT people should want to watch it" holds as a marketing strategy. I also have to wonder if the showrunners said such in the hopes that it would fuel shipping amongst fans too.

Agree with this. 

I thought it was weird then and it's only become even weirder with time.

 

They were... what... sixteen at the time this show was cast? In what world is it appropriate for the sexuality of young actors, many of whom were underage at the time, to not only become public knowledge but also in effect require it to be disclosed to the show's producers in order to be cast? They've tried to talk around it by saying the casting process was also open to "people who are open allies," but they knew exactly what they were doing. Making it part of the show's promotion in the way they did played a big part in opening up the cast to this level of scrutiny. You can talk about the efforts you made to make your show authentic and inclusive without essentially outing a group of teenagers.

Corners of the internet have treated him like trash and the show's writer/producers, who should have done better to protect the actors they were working with, did nothing but add fuel to the fire. It's actively enraging that they are now coming out to support him as if it is just the nasty internet not understanding their beautiful art when they were actively part of the problem.

[Lady Claire]

I feel sorry for him and these fans are disgusting, but...

 

6 hours ago, GraceRandolph said:

Is coming out so horrible? I don’t get it. If you’re not comfortable with that aspect of yourself don’t play roles where you are LGBT. 

...this.

 

Everytime an actor plays a gay role there's always this question around, especially when the actor's sexuality isn't quite clear. Making it ambiguous or just tease it from time to time doesn't help the case either. It's almost like a set up, and it gets worse when the fanbase is made of teenagers (especially women who have a fetish on gay relationships, i.e.: Larries etc).

 

An actor has to be ready for this, and to take the heat too, as much as it's wrong... it's part of the process. It would happen anyways.

[Chemist]

8 hours ago, Cloy said:

You guys are weird. 

 

He's weird for playing a gay character when he knew there would be backlash. He should just admit he wanted a cheque. I kind of miss the days when straight actors who openly complain about how uncomfortable they were playing gay because at least you knew where they stood. 

What a disgusting comment

[saucy]

I swear anytime I hear about this show it's always about the awful fanbase 

[HeddaO]

I feel so bad for him, because he really seems like a nice guy. :(

[Blankspace2010]

2 hours ago, Lady Claire said:

I feel sorry for him and these fans are disgusting, but...

 

...this.

 

Everytime an actor plays a gay role there's always this question around, especially when the actor's sexuality isn't quite clear. Making it ambiguous or just tease it from time to time doesn't help the case either. It's almost like a set up, and it gets worse when the fanbase is made of teenagers (especially women who have a fetish on gay relationships, i.e.: Larries etc).

 

An actor has to be ready for this, and to take the heat too, as much as it's wrong... it's part of the process. It would happen anyways.

He was 17 when he started the show though. Can we have some consideration for our youth and their emotional immaturity - also their lack of ability to judge the significance of a situation? He didn’t know what he was getting himself into and he wasn’t ready to comfortably be out in the way people wanted him to be. 
 

At the end of the day now - he’s said it. We need to believe him. However - he shouldn’t have had to say it. He should have been allowed live his life. 

 

[Sweet Sexy Savage]

This is not like an Isaiah Rashad situation where sextapes leaked, so why not just ignore the internet like what 90% of celebs do? It’s a sad thing he had to come out but he’s weak minded for giving into the internet when he makes money

[arceus]

I don't buy it. Bi4Pay 

[davorincek]

I think its a good PR move tbh. He could just ignore everything

[Mel.]

9 hours ago, Karla Cabello said:

Wait, who is this??

I need to know

 

but as for the topic, I feel for Kit

as someone who has been outed, I hope he’s doing well

[josesuxx]

7 hours ago, coolblue said:

that's what they say in the beginning 

"I think at that age, a lot of gays are still figuring themselves out, especially those who haven't fully acted out what's inside them."

 

Where? 

[mystery]

8 hours ago, K$Ellie said:

didn't he already come out as "queer" or no labels, how is that any different from basically saying you're bi?

He did but people continued to harass him and people close to him online. It was "not enough" for them and continued to push that he explicitly says what he identifies as.

 

8 hours ago, Gerardo said:

when he says he’s unlabeled y’all get mad, and now that he stated his sexuality yall get mad…. again?  truly miserable behavior 

[Lovett]

So people on this forum were attacking him for not coming out and now he has, you're saying it's purely for PR and he's lying? Right...

[Joesuxx]

Like whether he's genuinely Bi or not is by the by so to speak. But I have said it before and will say it again with this show and one's like it. Whereas it's important to have shows like this for younger viewers we are already in the grey area. People in their twenties and thirties should have zero investment in shows and books written for children and the YA bracket. It's completely bizarre i watched 20 minutes and thought I was on Nickelodeon not Netflix. As an adult man I had zero interest in pursuing it. With a cast that are predominantly minors/ or look like it - how responsible are these adults fetishising them and forcing them to discuss aspects of their sexuality? Like let's just call it for what it is. If you're over the age of twenty and you're invested in this show (without it making you any money) then you're either a Japanese woman or a pedophile.

[Terrielle]

Lol I guess I'm a psycho cause I feel 0 sympathy towards him. Maybe because in my country we actually go to jail for coming out, I simply can't see how much worse it would be for him. The only reason he's famous is BECAUSE he plays a Bi character. It's not like he's some amazing actor. Also ms @Cloy ain't tell no lies.