Kit Connor Twitter: what did Heartstopper star say in coming out tweet - what does ‘queerbaiting’ mean?

Heartstopper star Kit Connor has taken to social media to come out as bisexual, stating that he felt that he was “forced” to come out. Connor had taken to Twitter earlier this year to address those who felt it necessary to speculate on his sexuality, tweeting: “Twitter is so funny man. apparently some people on here know my sexuality better than I do…”

In Heartstopper, Connor plays Nick Nelson, the star high school rugby player who starts to question his sexuality after befriending Charlie Spring (played by Joe Locke), an openly gay boy who has been repeatedly bullied by the other high schoolers.

What did he say on Twitter?

Connor had initially left the social media platform for a while, having tweeted on 12 September: “this is a silly app. Bit bored of it now, deleting twitter :)”

He then briefly returned on Monday 31 October to tweet: “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.”

Why was he ‘forced’ to come out?

Connor stated in his coming out tweet that he had been “forced” to label himself - while he didn’t specify why, it’s understood that the actor was recently accused of “queerbaiting” on social media.

Originally, queerbaiting referred to when things like films or TV shows hinted at LGBTQ+ relationships and characters, but never actually followed through with the implied representation. The idea was that LGBTQ+ audiences were essentially tricked into consuming a piece of media on a promise that was never fulfilled. Popular TV shows and films that have been accused of queerbaiting include Glee, Sherlock, Supergirl, Teen Wolf and Pitch Perfect.

More recently, however, queerbaiting accusations have been levelled against celebrities, such as Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. Again, these claims state that LGBTQ+ fans are being tricked into believing a person is part of the queer community and that these celebrities are benefitting from their LGBTQ+ fanbase without themselves being part of the community.

The controversy around Connor was sparked after pictures of him holding hands with his A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow co-star Maia Reficco.

What has the reaction been like?

Connor’s fans, Heartstopper co-stars and more have rallied around the actor following his tweet, with many taking to Twitter to show their support for the actor.

Replying directly to Connor, Heartstopper graphic novel creator Alice Oseman wrote: “I truly don’t understand how people can watch Heartstopper and then gleefully spend their time speculating about sexualities and judging based on stereotypes. I hope all those people are embarrassed a F**K. Kit you are amazing.”

Connor’s Heartstopper co-star Sebastian Croft, who plays Ben Hope, tweeted: “Kit Connor, the world doesn’t deserve you. Love you my friend [heart emoji].”

“I love you Kit. I’m sorry this has been so disgustingly rough on you. Been treated so unfairly,” Kizzy Edgell, who plays Darcy in the series, tweeted.

TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan tweeted: “What happened to Kit Connor is unforgivable. The pressure on people to publicly label who they are when it is their personal life. The absolute worst.”

Bryan also added: “It also goes against the whole point of Heartstopper.”

Digital Spy deputy TV editor David Opie wrote: “Coming out should be empowering, but instead, unfounded queer-baiting accusations have forced Kit Connor to come out as bi to everyone before he was ready. This is so messed up. I hope he’s ok and I hope the people who harassed him feel bad and actually learn something from this.”