Opinion | ‘Heartstopper’ emphasizes queer joy, importance of identity
Rotten Tomatoes recently gave Netflix’s “Heartstopper” a 100% critic rating after the first season was released April 22. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer
After recognizing I was queer from a young age, I couldn’t get my hands on enough LGBTQIA+ media.
LGBTQIA+ short films, “Am I gay?” quizzes, novels about queer love stories, TV shows with openly gay or transgender characters, coming out videos on YouTube; I always wanted more growing up. .
Angelina Hicks, Managing Editor
When I first started seeking out these types of media, I wasn’t quite sure why I was so interested. It took some time for me to realize finding this media representation of LGBTQIA+ individuals was the only exposure I had to learn about my sexuality and how I fit into the world.
“Heartstopper” — Netflix’s newest queer rom-com series based on a graphic novel series of the same name — is the latest in a long line of LGBTQIA+ media I’ve eagerly consumed.
I sat down April 23 ready to start the eight-episode series that had dropped on Netflix the day before, and I didn’t get up until the credits of the last episode were scrolling on my computer screen and tears were running down my face. This show transported me back to my 14-year-old self as I witnessed the incredibly joyful and wholesome love story unravel on the screen.
The series is a coming-of-age story that primarily follows two teenage boys — Charlie Spring (John Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) — as they navigate a budding romance while dealing with challenging friendships.
During the four hours I watched the series, I laughed and cried watching the diverse cast of young, queer characters experience love, and happiness and friendship in such an inspiring way.
The main characters include a gay couple, a lesbian couple and a transgender girl — all living authentically and happily. The show also cast a Black trans actress to play Elle Argent, the series’ trans character, and a non-binary actor to play Darcy Olsson, a witty lesbian who radiates confident energy. These casting choices just add to the series’ already diverse group of characters.
It’s a show I wish I had seen growing up. I spent so many years thinking I would never be happy because of my sexuality, desperately searching for some hope or confirmation that my life will still be filled with joy even though I wasn’t straight.
Even though “Heartstopper” came a little too late to save me from my teenage doubt, I’m still so glad there are young people out there today who are able to experience this series and see themselves reflected in the characters and know they’re going to be OK.
The queer representation reminded me of everything I went through as a teenager: the first time I realized I liked another girl, my first kiss, the first time I fell in love, sneaking around in high school, secret relationships, coming out to my parents — the show honestly has it all. And it’s all done so well.
Some of the scenes were done almost too perfectly, immediately making me burst into tears as I watched the characters go through the same struggle that I felt at their age.
In one scene, 16-year-old Nick is researching LGBT issues, taking various “Am I gay?” quizzes and reading about different sexual orientations while tears swell in his eyes and run down his cheeks.
The scene emphasizes the difficult internal conflict many young, queer people face as they struggle to find an identity that fits them. It’s one of the few scenes that explores the challenges queer youth face growing up shrowded in fear and loneliness. It’s also the scene that affected me the most. It was filmed so accurately, and it hit my emotions so personally. I cried through the whole segment during my binge-watching session.
It hurt in the best way; I’ve never seen queer representation that accurate to what I experienced in my real life as a kid, and I was completely thrown off. I keep coming back to that part of the series in my mind because it makes me feel so seen in a way that I haven’t experienced before.
But some critics of the series believe the show may evoke trauma in queer people who were unable to experience the type of love and self-acceptance depicted through the adolescent protagonists.
It’s painfully true that most gay people experience their “firsts” later in life. A lot of LGBTQIA+ people can feel left behind, or like their youth was robbed from them, since they weren’t able to have that first kiss or first love at the same time as their straight peers.
Although this is a real issue that many people face, this wasn’t how my personal experience played out. Young, queer love exists, and seeing these characters living authentically and happily was so amazing for me to see — especially the queer, female side characters.
Even though some scenes portray the more negative parts of coming out — like bullying and homophobia — the vast majority of the series emphasizes a subject most stories with LGBTQIA+ characters miss: queer joy.
“Heartstopper” is simply so happy and fun. Watching the characters overthink text messages and stalk each other on Instagram brings so many butterflies in my chest when witnessing such a pure, giddy connection at a young age.
Seeing a tight-knit group of friends supporting each other is so beautiful, especially since a lot of queer kids can feel like no one really understands them while growing up.
The plot is heart-warming and exudes a feel-good energy that has earned the series a 100% critic rating and a 98% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
So many small aspects of the show are relatable to LGBTQIA+ people everywhere: crushing on a straight friend, relying on the local art teacher’s classroom as a safe space in school, being forced to keep a same-sex relationship a secret, waiting for the right time to publicly come out, dealing with bullies and so much more.
“Heartstopper” is an amazing series showing young, queer joy, amazing friendships, complex identies and the power of representation. I ordered all four volumes of Alice Oseman’s “Heartstopper” graphic novels as soon as I finished the series, and I can’t wait for further Nick and Charlie content to make me smile and cry a lot more than I already have.
Joyful and confident same-sex relationships are incredibly important to exemplify in mainstream media, and “Heartstopper” does this perfectly. I recommend the series to anyone looking for a sweet and innocent rom-com that will heal their inner child.
