Heartstopper: Kit Connor shares touching coming out message from fan
"This. This is why we did it," said Kit on Twitter.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Netflix
Heartstopper‘s Kit Connor has shared a message from a fan who came out after watching the young-LGBTQ drama on Netflix.
Based on the popular webcomic of the same name, Heartstopper follows high schoolers Nick Nelson (Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) as they become friends and a relationship blossoms.
Speaking to Attitude during his cover interview in the May/June issue – out now – Kit, 18, recognised how the show, which highlights positive LGBTQ stories, could help people.
“This is why we did it”
He said “it’s a real honour” to be in such a show.
“Sebastian Croft, who plays Ben, one of the bad guys, said to me after we watched the show the other day that one of the scenes [is one] that people might show to their parents to come out,” he went on to say.
“I was humbled by that, because that’s such an honour for any actor to be able to create a scene like that, that could really change a person’s life. That’s an honour that I am so grateful to have been given. I don’t think I’ll ever really forget that.”
And that’s exactly what has happened.
On Friday 22 April, the young actor shared a message from a fan who revealed they’d used Nick Nelson’s coming out scene from the show to come out to their own family.
“This. This is why we did it,” wrote Kit.
This. This is why we did it. https://t.co/J81Tj5WyZK
— Kit Connor (@kit_connor) April 22, 2022
Even before its debut on Netflix last Friday, Heartstopper was lauded for its positive LGBTQ representation, as well as for the way it depicts LGBTQ characters not suffering trauma or being killed off as is often the case.
In its review of the series, Attitude wrote: “It’s the type of LGBTQ show we need more of in 2022.”
If it is having this kind of positive effect in encouraging people to come out and to be accepted for doing so, is there any higher commendation it can be given?
The Attitude May/June issue featuring the cast of Heartstopper is out now.
