Kit Connor: I don't regret coming out, in many ways it was really empowering

Mike Bedigan, PA Los Angeles Correspondent

Kit Connor says he would have preferred not to have come out as bisexual publicly, but he does not “regret” it and that it was “in many ways really empowering”.

The Heartstopper star, 19, made the announcement on social media in November last year and suggested that he had been “forced” to do so.

Connor stars as Nick Nelson in the Netflix coming-of-age drama series, which sees his character meet Charlie Spring, played by Joe Locke, at school and fall in love.

The LGBT series, based on the popular graphic novels by Alice Oseman, was renewed for seasons two and three after becoming a hit on the streaming platform.

Speaking to British Vogue about coming out, Connor said that being “forced” to come out was now not the phrase he would use.

“I would say that I would have preferred to do it another way,” he told Vogue.

“I also don’t know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day I don’t regret it. In many ways it was really empowering.”

The actor’s tweet in November read: “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.”

Connor told Vogue that as a young man he was “already kind of going through certain things” and that he had “just needed to let that energy out” with his post.

The cast of Heartstopper are known to have been vocal in their support of LGBT issues previously.

Connor said he felt “super lucky” to have been able to work on a project that had actually impacted others.

“The idea that you’re having an impact on anyone’s life, especially a stranger, it’s really special,” he told Vogue.

The full feature with Kit Connor will appear in the August issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday, July 18th.