How Heartstopper and other shows are helping LGBTQ+ kids feel represented on TV
These stories helps kids see they can be both queer and happy, experts say
⭐️HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️
- A new show on Netflix, Heartstopper, is getting a lot of attention.
- It’s about two teen boys who navigate school, sports and their relationship.
- Experts in LGBTQ+ culture say it’s a great way to expose kids to positive storylines that feature diverse characters.
- And more shows are doing just that.
- Keep reading to find out why it’s important. ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Most people love a feel-good TV show, especially when they can see themselves represented on screen.
Netflix’s Heartstopper does just that with its wide variety of characters who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer and others such as pansexual and two-spirit).
Heartstopper, which debuted on Netflix on April 22, is based on the graphic novels by the same name, written by author and illustrator Alice Oseman.
It’s about two young British teens, Nick and Charlie, whose relationship blossoms in a story that’s so unapologetically queer.
According to Netflix, by the end of its second week on air, the series had been watched for almost 24 million hours.
Heartstopper is a part of a wave of new LGBTQ+ teen stories becoming popular in film and TV today.
So why are shows like this important for all audiences to see?
Read on to find out more, but be warned, this article contains spoilers.
What Heartstopper does differently
CBC Kids News spoke to two experts for their perspective on this: Mel Woods, a journalist who focuses on LGBTQ+ culture, and Adam Zivo, a journalist and LGBTQ+ activist.
They both said that until recently, many of the shows that featured LGBTQ+ characters were centred around trauma, fear and negative stereotypes.
Woods called Heartstopper “groundbreaking” for several reasons.
Unlike some other stories that feature LGBTQ+ characters, in Heartstopper, Charlie, played by Joe Locke, is already out.
Woods said one of the great things about the show is how Charlie is just “this kid living his life.”
The characters also have a strong support system through both family and friends.
A scene that’s especially positive is when Nick comes out to his mom, a moment that was met with love and kindness.
While this isn’t everyone’s experience, it’s important to show audiences that these happier moments are possible, Woods said.
They added that it’s helpful for “kids to be able to see different ways of being queer that are grounded in joy and grounded in love.”
Zivo said he wished there were LGBTQ+ characters in shows like Heartstopper that he could have watched with his mom as a kid, to help her understand what he was going through.
“So that I didn't have to explain it, because I didn’t know how to explain it,” he said. “But a TV show could show it for me.”
Heartstopper isn’t alone
Woods said there’s an incentive for streaming platforms to include these shows to appeal to wider audiences.
On Netflix, Julie and the Phantoms and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power are recent examples of shows with LGBTQ+ characters and plots.
Woods also pointed to Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe, which includes a same-sex marriage proposal and wedding.
What’s next?
Both experts said the more representation in film and TV there is for younger audiences, the better.
Like in Heartstopper, they should include main characters from across the spectrum of diverse LGBTQ+ identities.
“There's infinite ways to be queer [and] infinite ways to be trans,” Woods said.
“And I think the more media that we have, like Heartstopper, that's telling those stories for as many different people as possible, the better.”
Zivo said he’d like to see shows that include queer characters in a subtle way.
“Sometimes it’s nice just to have a queer character where they’re queer, and it’s not a big plot point and we don't have to hear about them dealing with hate crimes or trauma,” he said.
Less than a month after it debuted, Netflix announced that Heartstopper was renewed for two more seasons.
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TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Netflix, graphic design by Philip Street/CBC
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