-By Madeline Matcheski
On April 22nd, Netflix original ‘Heartstopper’ was finally released and immediately started to gain attention. This adaptation of the ‘Heartstopper’ webcomic and book series by Alice Oseman is a coming-of-age story for a group of young British teens. It follows the lives of Charlie Springer, an openly gay and soft-spoken introvert, and Nick Nelson, a kind and popular rugby player as they start a unique friendship when being seated together in class. Only 3 days after its release, it’s trending #8 in Canada as well as trending in the top 10 in 30 other countries.
The show covers a variety of topics that come with identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. From bullying to exploring your sexuality and gender to eventually coming out, it is an unglorified and real look into the life of a queer teen. It includes characters that identify under multiple labels including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and asexual individuals.
Alice Oseman, openly aromantic and asexual and using she/they pronouns, writes a variety of LGBTQ+ inclusive novels, publishing her first work, ‘Solitaire,’ at only 17 years old. When asked in an interview how the series reflects young queer people, Alice responded, “I think here in the UK, the teenage experience of being queer in school can really vary. I think some teens have a much better experience than the characters in ‘Heartstopper’, whereas others might really be able to relate to what Charlie has gone through, for example. I do believe things have improved even since I started writing Heartstopper, but definitely since I was in school myself. There's still a lot of homophobia, transphobia, and bullying out there though, so I'm sure some people will relate.”
Despite our world becoming more and more accepting, public displays of homophobia and transphobia are still disturbingly frequent, as it becomes more discussed. It’s a common stigma that more gay representation in media is influencing youth to be gay; in reality, being gay isn’t a choice. The apparent increase of LGBTQ+ individuals among younger generations is due to the safe spaces becoming more easily accessible and the topic of gender expression and sexuality being discussed more openly so that they feel comfortable with who they truly are.
In the past, queer representation in media was few and far between. “Queerbaiting,” the act of implying non-heterosexual relationships or attraction in fiction to engage or attract an LGBTQ+ audience without actually depicting such relationships, has been seen in multiple forms of media. Shows like Voltron, Supernatural, Riverdale and Sherlock are only a few examples of this. For a show to be entirely dedicated to representing the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, especially showcasing such a variety of identities, is a monumental moment.
True LGBTQ+ representation in media, however small, is so important for young queer individuals to feel loved, seen and understood. Creating more inclusive and safe LGBT spaces is so critical for developing teens trying to discover themselves.
Only two days later on April 24th, popular twitch streamer and content creator Ranboo, came out as on Twitter, “I guess I am technically unlabeled as the way I have kinda always gone around life just being attracted to whoever I am attracted to. It just so happens that most of them line up with a “certain type” you could say lol. [I] am okay with the gay label :).”
Ranboo was immediately met with an influx of congratulations and thanks from both friends and fans, “This is making me so happy and more comfortable as an unlabeled queer, so proud of him.”
His fans, along with trending his name, started to share their own pride flags, supporting each other in their respective identities.
“Ranboo has always been nothing but amazing to me and is one of the most loving, caring creators out there. Seeing him talk about being unlabeled is really validating and I’m super proud of him. [N]othing but LOVE,” said friend and fellow content creator Dream in his most recent tweet.
Ranboo is only one of the influencers that have come forward recently. These celebrities have relatively young audiences which make their coming out even more important.
“[I] just realized like how impactful this might be for people because I remember when I was a kid still going through stuff how important just seeing someone be out was and how much it genuinely helped me and got me through really tough times,” Ranboo stated on his discord after the ordeal, “I’m really happy that I’m now able to do the same for some people.”
The more representative media that is produced and consumed, the closer we get to abolishing the pressure of a heteronormative society. Self discovery isn’t easy, nor is it linear. Making resources and having good role models to help people both young and old explore their identity will help people navigate this confusion and stay safe and loved while doing so.
Photo Source: Netflix
Interview Source: Buzzfeed
