Heartstopper star Kit Connor has challenged the lack of bisexual representation in TV, describing it as “shockingly low.”
Speaking as part of a Critics Choice Award panel, he criticised how bisexual characters are overlooked.
The actor pointed out that male bisexual characters are particularly underrepresented, despite a large amount of the LGBTQ+ community identifying as bisexual.
The 18-year-old also shared that this lack of representation meant he was proud to be able to portray a nuanced bisexual character in Heartstopper.
In the panel, he described it as a “real pleasure,” adding that this was the “main arc of the character.”
“It’s not just so much of working out whether or not you are a boy attracted to another boy,” he continued.
“It’s also, you know, discovering whether or not everything that [Nick] sort of previously thought about his sexuality is suddenly invalid, or whether or not it’s something that he wants to still acknowledge.”
The star plays Nick Nelson in the show, which follows his growing relationship with an openly gay schoolfriend.
In the final episode of season one, the character comes out to his mum, who supports him.
Kit felt forced to come out as bisexual earlier this year when a number of fans accused him of ‘queerbaiting’ after he was photographed holding hands with a female co-star.
Fans responded to his words on the panel with admiration, noting that the star felt comfortable to say “we” when talking about the bisexual community.
The cast of Heartstopper recently won the Onscreen Trailblazer award at the GAY TIMES Honours.
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