Key Points
- Kit Connor has come out as bisexual in a tweet, saying he felt pressured by fans to publicly label his sexuality.
- Connor, who stars in Heartstopper, had previously spoken out against "forcing" actors to discuss their sexuality.
Actor Kit Connor has come out as bisexual in a pointed tweet, saying it was "forced" upon him by fans.
The 18-year-old returned to Twitter after a seven-week hiatus to make the announcement after some social media users accused him of "queerbaiting" - a tactic where people in the spotlight hint at queer stories to attract a larger audience without ever actually depicting it in their life.
"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," he said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Connor rose to fame for his role in the Netflix hit Heartstopper, a queer coming-of-age story that centres around the friendship and eventual love story between his character, Nick, and his classmate Charlie, played by Joe Locke.
The show, which follows his character's journey to accepting his own sexuality, has been a huge success, receiving a warm reception for its portrayal of the LGBTIQ+ community.
But due to the themes in the show, many fans had been rampantly speculating about the young actor's sexual identity.
Connor had previously spoken about social media users pressuring others to reveal their sexuality before they were ready.
In May, the actor tweeted: "Twitter is so funny man. Apparently some people on here know my sexuality better than I do..."
Another time, speaking on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, he repeated his concerns.
"In the cast, we're all 18 and we have a few people in their early 20s, and even with those older members of the cast, we're all so young, and to start speculating about our sexualities and maybe pressuring us to come out when maybe we're not ready...
"I'm not massive about that and I don't feel like I need to label myself, especially not publicly."
Connor's post has since seen an outpouring of support.
Co-star Locke said in a tweet: “You owe nothing to anyone. I’m so proud of you my friend.”
Kit Connor (left) and his Heartstopper co-star Joe Locke earlier this year at the National Television Awards. Source: Getty / Gareth Cattermole
“I hope all those people are embarrassed as f***. Kit you are amazing.”
In June, Australian comedian and actor Rebel Wilson also said she felt forced to come out when Sydney Morning Herald gossip columnist Andrew Hornery contacted her about her same-sex relationship and gave her two days to respond.
Before Mr Hornery could break the story, Wilson announced the relationship on Instagram, to which Mr Hornery said he felt Wilson was "gazumping" his story.
A number of stars have too been accused of "queerbaiting," including singers Harry Styles and Billie Eilish.
Styles, who is known for his inclusivity and flamboyant style, has been very vocal about the unrelenting questions about his sexuality.
"Am I sprinkling in nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try and be more interesting? No,” he told The Guardian in 2019.
Responding to questions about why he hadn't publicly labelled his sexuality he added: "It’s not a case of: I’m not telling you cos I don’t want to tell you ... It’s just: who cares?"
