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Heartstopper, one of the most commonly watched tv shows on Netflix, is making an extraordinary impact on our generation due to its embracement of queer culture and gender affirming characters. But why is it so revolutionary? What makes Heartstopper so special for the LGBTQIA+ community?
First, it addresses diversity even within the LGBT community. There have been queer movies in the past (But I’m a Cheerleader, Love Simon), but very rarely have we seen a spectrum of diversity regarding sexual and gender identities in one singular movie. Most movies that have before addressed queer relationships, have solely addressed lesbian and gay romantic relationships; Heartstopper is different.
Rather than just focusing on the romantic relationship between Nick and Charlie (although adorable), we see Elle (a transgender woman) finding herself, Isaac navigating his asexual identity, Darcy and Tara who come out as lesbians, Nick, who learns he’s bisexual, and of course Charlie who learns to accept himself as gay. These separate sexual and gender identities and the representation behind these characters helps us understand that the term queer, is not a one size fits all umbrella term. Members of the LGBT community have different experiences, and its important to acknowledge that. For instance, one of the most prevalent issues within our community currently is the surge of trans hate and transphobia, which makes having trans representation is extremely key for young adults. Continuing to ignore the lack of trans representation, perpetuates lack of belonging and feelings of shame for trans individuals.
Additionally, what I love about the show is the emphasis put representation of bisexual individuals. Even within the LGBT community, the B is often seen as silent, or overlooked. In Hearstopper, we see Nick Nelson, living through what is often extremely realistic for many who are bisexual; constant corrections, assumptions of being straight/gay as the notion of binary sexuality, and lack of acceptance from his friends and family. Nick’s journey helps us understand that the B is not in fact silent; that being bisexual is something to be proud of.
Finally, the best aspect of Heartstopper is its ability to address queer pride in the cutest way possible. Whether it’s the animations between characters, cute dialogue, or characters that are actually identifiable as high schoolers, Heartstopper is a show for any age. In fact, while mainly made for young adults and teens, its actually is perfectly suitable as a middle grade show as well. This adaptation to people of all ages makes the impact it has a lot more significant
Heartstopper was one of my favorite shows this summer. It was so refreshing to see all the representation it had to offer, and how one TV show can relay the importance of pride in the LGBTQ+ community. And once you get into it, be prepared for hours of binging :))
