I’m gonna bite on this thread. I have watched Heartstopper like 20 times already, haha
I came out in my early thirties, having grown up in a very conservative household and Christian education my whole life. I had convinced myself that even though I knew I was attracted to men, I couldn’t be gay (Call it an attraction vs identity internal conflict). Maybe it’s possible Kit doesn’t even know what his sexuality is yet? A lot of people work that out over time beyond the age of 18. Granted, it is soo much easier for kids today than it was for me in the early 2000s, but add in the heat of the limelight, and the somewhat quick nature of cancel culture to burn anyone who is perceived as slighting any community, and he just might not feel safe speaking to his sexuality.
I will also note that he said in an interview, his favorite other tole in the series to play would have been Ben (Sebastian Croft, baddie in the series). He said he was drawn to darker roles.
Given that he has had an agent and trying to break onto the screen since he was a very young kid, he has big plans for his acting future. As we have already discussed in this thread, your sexuality can limit you in Hollywood. He also talks about playing on the basketball, enjoying rap/hip hop, etc. if he is not straight, he hasn’t really found his way into the community yet. I remember when I came out in my adulthood, there was a whole new subculture, vocabulary, references, etc I had to learn. Today I am married to my husband, and starting a family, but when I was 18 that was so rare it was virtually unheard of. I’ll admit, all of these kids in this series, Kit included, seem much more mature than me or my friends were at their age, and there is no question that youth in general are for more educated, comfortable and tolerant of LGBTQ+ issues than ever before, but there’s so much to figure out at 18.
Personally, Kit gives me straight vibes, BUT I tell people all of the time that one of the first things I learned when I came out is that gay men (my culture) come in all shapes, colors, sizes, styles, masc, fem, athletic, flamboyant, etc imaginable. Kit may be anything, but I contend it is possible he may not even know himself yet, just as his tweet indicated. At the end of the day, I am so glad shows like Heartstopper are out there. This kind of representation makes me hopeful that young queer youth can have the relationship I wish I could have had in high school. Watching it had brought so many emotions for me - not just warmth and happiness, but a bit of loss for a time in my life I will never have again, and all that I missed out on. I hope this show will help the ever turning tide for our young friends. So grateful for it, and can’t wait for season 2 and 3!