the fluidity of "queer baiting"

the most prevalent argument in regard to this "issue" is that actors who are (seemingly) straight should not play gay characters in media because "it takes opportunities away from actual queer actors." while there is some truth in that, because queer and trans actors aren't cast nearly enough as they should be in media — it does not excuse the fact that the argument is, while maybe in good faith, inherently flawed. it promotes the idea that actors are required to divulge unnecessary personal information about themselves in order to play a role, and assumes that we, the audience, are entitled to know this information to fully enjoy the fictional characters and stories that actors play out.

Hearstopper actor Kit Connor was forced to come out in 2022, due to fans of the show accusing him of queerbaiting. he was seen holding hands with his co-star from a different project, Maia Reficco. on the show, Connor plays the character Nick Nelson, who discovers throughout the episodes of the show that he's bisexual. Connor initially deleted his twitter account after the accusations worsened, but he returned briefly to address both the accusations and to come out as bisexual.

later in 2022, Connor went on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast to speak and share his thoughts on the matter. he was very candid about the fact that he does not want to label himself or his sexuality, and he also noted the dubiousness of assuming a person's sexuality and identity based off of specific qualities or quirks that they have.

"...a bit strange to make assumptions about a person’s sexuality just based on hearing their voice or seeing their appearance ... I feel like that’s a very interesting, slightly problematic sort of assumption to make."

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