Kit Connor comes out after accusations of queerbaiting

The star of Netflix’s “Heartstopper” says he was forced to come out as bisexual.

Transcript

00:00Heartstopper star Kit Conner says he was forced to come out as bisexual due to queerbaiting

00:04allegations, but we need to talk about the origins of the term and how it's since evolved.

00:08Earlier this month, Kit Conner was called out after a video of him holding hands with a female

00:12co-star circulated on social media. People quickly accused him of being straight and therefore

00:17queerbaiting by playing a bisexual character. The backlash led Conner to come out as bisexual

00:21via Twitter, saying he had been forced to by fans. Other celebrities such as Harry Styles,

00:26Bad Bunny, and Cardi B have come under fire for queerbaiting. The term originally referred to

00:31fictional characters, including those in TV shows and films, that hint at queerness but

00:35never explicitly depict it. But today, it's often used to refer to real people who imply queerness,

00:40whether it's through clothing or other forms of expression, without explicitly coming out as queer.

00:45In most cases, those accused of queerbaiting simply haven't publicly disclosed their sexuality.

00:50Supporters of Conner said that while it may be frustrating to see someone assumed to be cis and

00:54straight adopt queer aesthetics, no public figure owes others information about their sexuality.