After bringing the character of Charlie to life on Netflix’s Heartstopper, Joe Locke became a global superstar alongside his main costar Kit Connor, who plays Nick in the series.
Unfortunately, Locke and Connor were subjected to endless speculation on social media about their sexualities. And for some reason, fans and media outlets ran with the assumption that Locke was an out gay man – which came up as a topic during the actor’s latest interview with Teen Vogue. The actor explained:
“People have assumed and written it, and I haven’t ever corrected anyone because I haven’t felt the need to. But I’ve never specifically stated my sexuality.”
Locke then went on to acknowledge that he is indeed gay – labeling it in an interview for the very first time – and has known that he was gay since he was nine years old. “I have been openly gay since I was, like, 12,” he noted.
At the end of the day, Locke felt like he needed to consider his family and friends prior to coming out in a public manner. The actor recalled a horrific story of his mother’s old social media profile getting messages from strangers who were trying to pinpoint her location. Locke’s grandmother also kept receiving phone calls from strangers.
He told the publication:
“It’s a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their lives are affected by choices in my life. It’s a mutual thing. I need to learn my boundaries and people need to learn their boundaries. Most attention comes from a really good place, and I hope I always appreciate that.”
In October 2022, Connor came out as bisexual on social media after feeling forced by fans to label his sexuality. He wrote in a tweet, “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.”
For a TV show that is all about accepting people’s different sexual orientations and gender expressions, respecting boundaries, and dealing with the trauma of bullying, it’s absolutely shocking that fans of Heartstopper have subjected Locke and Connor to such scrutiny.
Nonetheless, it’s great to see that Locke and Connor are now at a better place when it comes to dealing with public perception. Season two of Heartstopper is now also available, and it’s just as wonderful as the first season.
Sending our love to these two Heartstopper stars!
Heartstopper season two is now streaming on Netflix.