Joe Locke Helps Equipment Connor Coming Out as Bisexual

Equipment Connor is greatest identified for taking part in Nick within the LGBTQ+ Netflix rom-com sequence “Heartstopper,” which follows teenagers as they navigate their method by college, their emotions, and their sexualities. Whereas the sequence itself spotlights LGBTQ+ characters in a superbly genuine method — giving lots of them ample house to return out in their very own time — the compassionate messaging behind the present appeared to have been misplaced on many when Connor was seemingly bullied into saying his bisexuality.

The “Rocketman” star wrote a tweet late on 31 Oct. saying that he’s bisexual, however he added that he felt compelled to return out after being harassed by followers. The actor wrote, “again for a minute. i am bi. congrats for forcing an 18 12 months outdated to out himself. i feel a few of you missed the purpose of the present. bye”.

In a Teen Vogue interview printed on 7 Aug., Connor’s “Heartstopper” costar Joe Locke addressed the web incident and shared that he was glad Connor determined to do issues on his personal phrases. “We had been all very happy with him, and we’re happy with him controlling the narrative . . . I am very happy with him for doing his personal factor and what was proper for him,” mentioned Locke mentioned, including that he’d hugged Connor on set the day the tweet was posted. “There’s an concept that it is a part of the job to lose your privateness, that you simply lose your proper to having privateness. That is one thing I hope the following era of individuals within the public eye can change . . . I feel persons are understanding that privateness is a nonnegotiable.”

Locke had additionally shared help on Twitter the identical day Connor posted his tweet, writing, “You owe nothing to anybody. I am so happy with you my pal 💕.” Kizzy Edgell, who performs Darcy Olsson, tweeted, “love u equipment im sorry this has been so disgustingly tough on you. been handled so unfairly,” whereas costar Sebastian Croft, who performs Ben Hope, wrote, “Equipment Connor, the world does not deserve you. Love you my pal ❤️.”

“Heartstopper” author Alice Oseman responded by tweeting, “I actually do not perceive how individuals can watch Heartstopper after which gleefully spend their time speculating about sexualities and judging based mostly on stereotypes. I hope all these persons are embarrassed as FUCK. Equipment you’re superb 💖.”

The toxicity that prompted Connor’s tweet was largely as a result of him being accused of queerbaiting by followers following photos of him holding arms together with his costar in “A Cuban Lady’s Information to Tea and Tomorrow”, queer actress Maia Reficco. Because of troubling feedback directed on the actor, he’d exited Twitter in September 2022, writing “This can be a foolish foolish app. bit bored of it now, deleting twitter :)”, but made a fleeting return a month later to set the report straight.

9 months after his preliminary tweet, he opened up within the August situation of Vogue in regards to the troubling expertise. “I am a younger man, so I am already sort of going by sure issues, when it comes to simply life and psychological well being,” he mentioned. “I simply wanted to let that vitality out.” Whereas he initially felt “compelled” to return out, he has since taken inventory of the scenario. “I feel ‘compelled’ is not the correct phrase I’d use, however I’d say that I’d have most popular to do it one other method,” he mentioned. “I additionally do not know if I’d have ever accomplished it. However on the finish of the day I do not remorse it. In some ways it was actually empowering.”

On the time, Connor was coming to phrases together with his personal sexuality and the place he slot in. “It is the expertise of possibly you are too straight to be homosexual and also you’re too homosexual to be straight. So it is like, ‘The place do I sit?’ However I really feel way more safe in myself now,” he informed the outlet. “I simply felt prefer it wasn’t one thing I used to be prepared to speak about. I wasn’t indignant. I used to be simply barely dissatisfied by this response.”

Connor had additionally beforehand spoken about pointless hypothesis surrounding his sexuality and his unease at being labelled. “To begin form of speculating about our sexualities and possibly pressuring us to return out when possibly we’re not prepared. For me, I simply really feel completely assured and comfy with my sexuality,” he mentioned on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast in Might 2022. “However I do not really feel the necessity to actually, you already know – I am not too large on labels and issues like that. I am not large about that.”

Many followers had been fast to answer Connor’s tweet and voice their frustration. “Studying tweets like that is heartbreaking . . . particularly when Heartstopper taught so many individuals world wide the true worth of somebody’s private popping out story. I am so sorry you had this second taken away from you Equipment, however let’s hope individuals will study from it!”, one wrote. One other tweeted, “I am so dissatisfied on this fandom.”

He went on to replicate on the weird phenomenon of judging, labelling, and conjuring up unwarranted theories about individuals within the public eye. “It feels a bit unusual to make assumptions about an individual’s sexuality simply based mostly on listening to their voice or seeing their look. I really feel like that is a really attention-grabbing, barely problematic form of assumption to make,” he mentioned on the podcast.

On the time of Connor’s preliminary popping out tweet, Olivia Colman additionally spoke out in help of her onscreen son, letting him know simply how proud she is of him. On 1 Dec., the Oscar winner informed Selection simply how a lot she admired her “Heartstopper” costar Equipment Connor after he was bullied into popping out as bisexual on social media. “I’m so happy with him, however I’m not happy with how individuals bullied him,” Colman mentioned. “I feel individuals ought to be allowed to have their very own journey. However I am extremely happy with him as a younger man to cope with all of that and be within the highlight. It is unfair, however he is superb. He is a really lovely human being.”

The entire ordeal is finally a reminder that celebrities are human too, and followers aren’t entitled to all the pieces. Nobody ought to really feel pressured to publicly announce their sexuality earlier than they’re snug in doing or saying so — particularly a teen. “Studying tweets like that is heartbreaking . . . particularly when Heartstopper taught so many individuals world wide the true worth of somebody’s private popping out story,” one fan tweeted in response to Connor’s authentic tweet. “I am so sorry you had this second taken away from you Equipment, however let’s hope individuals will study from it!”