Thank You ‘Heartstopper’ for Having Multiple Queer Characters With Their Own Stories

Spoilers for Heartstopper season one

One of the big takeaways I had about the first season of Heartstopper was how I wanted this kind of queer media when I was coming out back in 2001. My options back then were fairly limited, especially if I wanted something with a more optimistic outlook. As a Black queer woman, I was already well aware of discrimination being a thing I’d have to face because I was already facing it. What I wanted was reassurance, not a reminder of the hate I already knew.

Heartstopper delivers with a mix of “yes discrimination exists” and a lot of feel-good moments where queer kids get to hang out, drink milkshakes, and kick over Monopoly boards when the game goes on for too long. The series surrounds its queer characters with supportive, like-minded people — some of whom are queer themselves.

There is so much diversity in the queer community

Throughout my years of talking about a desire for more variety in queer representation, I remember hearing comments about how “unrealistic” a queer story would be if most (or all) of the cast were a part of the LGBTQ community. That mindset always frustrated me because, in reality, we find each other and look for spaces that aim to make us feel comfortable, not excluded.

There’s a scene in Heartstopper where six of the kids get together for milkshakes, and out of those six, five of the kids are queer. The milkshake table has a gay boy (Charlie), a boy who would go on to come out as bisexual (Nick), two lesbians (Tara and Darcy), and a transgender girl (Elle). Two of the kids are Black (Tara and Elle) and one kid is Asian (Tao).

That’s a closer representation of what my friend group looks like than the “there can be only one” marginalized narrative I grew up with. To be honest, a lot of my friends are queer, or POC, or queer POC. That’s because we met in spaces where we felt like we belonged. We sought those spaces out and connected with each other.

Everyone is at different points in their journey

Along with having a cast of multiple queer characters, those characters are at different points in their lives when it comes to their queer identity. Charlie has known he was gay since he was young, whereas Nick is just beginning to explore his sexuality. Darcy has been out for a while and Tara is just now coming out to her classmates and on social media. We also get the sense that, for Elle, this is a better, brand new start, as she’s attending Higgs (an all-girls school) instead of Truman (an all-boys school). Even the art teacher, Mr. Ajayi, is out in a way where he can be there for Charlie, always wearing a Pride pin to school every day and can always willing to give him advice.

And yes, there are even characters like Ben Hope, the boy who was messing around with Charlie in secret who says he’s not gay, he just felt bad for Charlie, but also he’s mad that Charlie’s interested in someone else. Let me just say that no one hates Ben Hope more than the actor for Ben Hope, Sebastian Croft.

I take both my role as B*n H*pe and my role as President of the B*n H*pe Hate Club equally seriously 🍂 https://t.co/z4g6TpJ1KU

— Sebastian Croft (@SebastianCroft) April 27, 2022

What’s great about these characters is that they each have their own story to tell. Charlie’s story is more about him not blaming himself for the hate he receives. On the flip since, Nick is the one exploring his sexuality, going from “am I gay” to “I might be bisexual” as he researches the topic and asks questions. Tara and Darcy are already a couple, but everyone already knew that Darcy was a lesbian while Tara is just now coming out publically.

While both Charlie and Tara deal with homophobia, their experiences with it are different because of who they are. Charlie deals with the “I’m not homophobic I’m just asking an extremely invasive question and making jokes” kind of bullying along with Ben being an absolute tool. Meanwhile, Tara deals with a lot of whispered comments from classmates, but she also has guys on social media commenting on how much of a “waste” it is that she’s a lesbian. Elle has a bigger focus on the aftermath of such experiences. We’re told that she experienced bullying at Truman, and considering how the likes of Harry Greene treat Charlie, I can only imagine what a Black transgender girl went through at an all-boys school that enrolls kids like Harry.

We’re allowed to stress about more than being queer

Despite the toxicity the kids have to deal with, they also get to be, well, kids! Charlie and Nick get to play Mario Kart (and somehow remain friends) while Tara, Darcy, and Elle get to be a trio of besties at Higgs. Elle also gets to deal with her growing feelings for Tao, whose mom is all for them getting together (sidenote: I adore the part where Tao’s mom tells him to leave his bedroom door open when Elle comes over, that’s such a mom thing to do when your crush comes over). The word “wholesome” is used a lot when describing this series. That’s because it remembers to let the teenagers have moments like “birthday arcade date” and “trying to ditch your gym teacher during the big sporting event of the semester.”

Is it wholesome? Yes. But I also think that it’s a pretty realistic depiction of how the queer community looks. I’m not gonna pretend like being a marginalized person is all sunshine and rainbows, but I do think that since we KNOW things are a mess that there needs to be a reminder to remember to pet your puppy and talk your partner out of ordering that bubblegum milkshake. Our stories don’t have to only focus on the bullying, the discrimination, and the hard times. There’s absolutely a place for those narratives, but there’s also a place for narratives that balance the grim with the part where your rugby lad boyfriend runs across the sand to clarify that he likes you in a romantic way.

(Image: Netflix)

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