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