Kit Connor is opening up about his coming out journey and the aftermath of the pressure to live authentically.
The 19-year-old Heartstopper actor came out on Twitter in 2022 after fans accused him of "queerbaiting.”
“Back for a minute. 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 his post.
Now, the actor is reflecting on the journey in an interview with British Vogue. Connothe actor reflected on the pressure to come out and the aftermath of posting about his sexuality.
"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 continued.
When asked if he felt forced to reveal his sexual identity, Connor admits he didn’t feel that way
"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."
Connor mentions that he 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."
At the end of the day, Connor said he is grateful for his experiences on the show, saying, “I can’t put into words how grateful I am for ‘Heartstopper,’ in the way it’s affected my life, my career, my perception of myself and my general mindset.”
Heartstopper returns to Netflix for season 2 on Aug. 3.
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