Heartstopper Actor Joe Locke Comes Out As Gay
Image: Joe Locke as Chalie Spring in Heartstopper. Image: Netflix UK & Ireland/X
Lead actor of the acclaimed Heartstopper series, Joe Locke, has spoken out about his sexuality and came out as gay in a recent interview.
Following the release of the second season of the acclaimed Netflix series, Locke and co-star, Kit Connor, spoke to Teen Vogue on the series success and it’s impact on the 19-year-old鈥檚 lives.
During the interview, Locke explains there has been continuous speculation around his sexuality but has always maintained his privacy, ensuring to come out on his own terms.
鈥淧rivacy Is A Non-negotiable鈥�
Discussing the impact of the series, Locke mentions the difficulty around sustaining his privacy within the film/TV industry.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an idea that it’s part of the job to lose your privacy, that you lose your right to having privacy,鈥� says Locke.
鈥淧eople 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.鈥�
Explaining that he could not remember when he was aware of his sexuality, Locke says that by nine he always thought 鈥淚鈥檒l just marry a woman and have kids because it鈥檚 what I鈥檓 supposed to do.鈥�
Locke then reveals that he has been 鈥渙penly gay鈥� since he was 12, however, has been wanting to remain 鈥渃onsiderate of the sacrifices made by his friends and family鈥� when coming out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their lives are affected by choices in my life,鈥� he explained.
He noted that his family have been impacted by his popularity with strangers calling and messaging his family, and his mother needing to create new social media accounts due to 鈥榝ans鈥� trying to pinpoint her location.
鈥淚t’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,鈥� says Locke.
鈥淚 hope the next generation of people in the public eye can change鈥�. I think people are understanding that privacy is a non-negotiable.鈥�
Pressure To Come Out
Locke and Connor also spoke on the pressure to speak on their sexuality, following Connor coming out as bisexual on X (formerly Twitter) last year due to increasing pressure online.
In the X post, Connor said, 鈥淏ack for a minute. I鈥檓 bi. Congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.鈥�
Whilst describing the pressure for him to come out as a 鈥渞egrettable鈥� and 鈥渄isappointing” situation, Connor says he 鈥渨as still happy鈥� following the tweet.
Noting his anxiety around using social media, Connor believes the latest season of the show was reflective and would provide an example of how people should handle 鈥渢hese delicate situations.鈥�
鈥淭here were definitely points where I was doing season two and saying certain lines, and I thought,鈥� This is good, this is how it should be, this is the message that we want to be sending,鈥欌�� says Connor.
鈥淚t felt like certain people didn’t quite understand the show and the original message that we were trying to portray in season one. So if that’s the case, then we’ll just keep hammering it home in season two and hope that people listen.鈥�.
Locke expresses support for his co-star鈥檚 coming out saying, 鈥淲e were all very proud of him, and we’re proud of him controlling the narrative鈥� I鈥檓 very proud of him for doing his own thing and what was right for him.鈥�
The Heartstopper TV series, based on the graphic-novel series by Alice Oseman, has received critical and public acclaim for its depiction of teen queer love and identity.
The recent season continues to follow the blossoming relationship between Locke and Connor鈥檚 characters, Charlie and Nick, facing the challenges of growing up and their respective journeys of self-discovery.
Heartstopper season 2 is now available to watch on Netflix.
Upon hearing the 2nd series was about to become available. I just couldn鈥檛 stand not knowing, what the 鈥榤ust see鈥�, regarding this series, has been surrounding it, when it was still these marvellous hit YA novel series. I genuinely wish I was the intended age group for the graphic novels, I鈥檇 have bought them all to date, no question! I was very pleased with myself for signing up to Netflix only a couple of weeks ago. Already half way through Season 01, & it is beyond the (only) monthly fee choice (as far as I could figure out) is beyond rewarding. I think the Brits do these kinds of dramas / series especially well. How marvellous it would be whenever we manage one like this in Australia?! I adore young Joe Locke as Charlie Spring. He was the kind of Adorable / Sweetly mannered other young guy, I yearned to put my arm around as my mate or boyfriend in my high school days during the the mid 1980鈥檚 thru to 1990. I could definitely have populated a decent sized classroom, where just one of those I鈥檇 have had an infinitely rosier teenage era should that have been a possibility. Alas the deafening silence along with isolating myself, must have been enough to shield me from ever being explicitly 鈥榦uted鈥�. Quite excited for where it goes in Season 02 of Heartstoppers. It deserves to remain around for 22 seasons as far as I am concerned. It would be a new way to chart progress over society鈥檚 attitudes to diverse sexualities over that span of time, could it be so.