Netflix's new TV show ‘Heartstopper’ is exactly what LGBTQIA+ youth need

By Violet Bouwes-van Nood ‘24

Disclaimer: One interviewee wished to remain anonymous during the interview to keep their sexuality private. In this article, they will be referred to as CGS student.

In late April, the highly anticipated TV show Heartstopper was released on Netflix. The show is based on Alice Oseman's webcomic, also called Heartstopper, which was later released as a graphic novel. Though the show has only been out for a couple of weeks, it has smashing reviews, with ratings of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.9 stars on IMDb, and has reached the hearts of many people, most importantly LGBTQIA+ youth. 

“The show did a really good job of helping to represent people that aren't usually represented on TV," said a Catlin Gabel School (CGS) student and Heartstopper fan.

The show centers around the main character Charlie Spring, an openly gay 14-year-old boy, and his relationship with seemingly straight Nick Nelson, who later comes out as bisexual. It also follows the stories of other queer characters, including a lesbian couple and a transgender teen. 

Roosevelt High School (RHS) student Sadie Dearborn said, "LGBTQ youth need to have something to look at themselves so that they can see a future for themselves…there are not any good shows about like a gay couple or like a lesbian couple that's not like just a bunch of angst."

The show highlights happy and healthy relationships between queer couples, which are important for LGBTQIA+ youth to see because media often tell hard stories about the LGBTQIA+ community. Those stories are important stories to tell, but community members also deserve happy stories to be told about them, as they see themselves reflected in the media. 

Later on, in the webcomics, Heartstopper does, however, tackle complex mental health issues that many LGBTQIA+ youth face. Still fans don't think it changes the story's significance. 

"It does it in such a way that it is never like exploiting the issues. It never uses them just for like shock factor. It always makes sure to really tell real stories," explained the CGS student.

That is another reason why the show is so impactful to LGBTQIA+ youth. The way the stories are told feels very real. Not just like actors playing parts, but it shows stories that feel like they could happen in real life.

"It has not only gay representation but also bisexual representation, and it sort of goes through the process of like learning about yourself, and it does it in such a way that it feels very real," explained the CGS student.

"I think any queer youth who knows their sexuality now has like taken the am I gay? quiz," Dearborn said about a scene from the show where one of the characters takes such a quiz. 

"I feel like a lot of people have done that because there is not a lot of [representation]. It's getting better now, but that's why shows like it [Heartstopper] are good."

Representation of the LGBTQIA+ is the essential thing in the show, which is why shows like Heartstopper are necessary for youth. Shows like Heartstopper help confront stereotypes and implicit bias present in the media. 

"A lot of the times you don't really get that sort of representation, whether you're LGBTQIA+ or just any sort of minority, you don't really get to see yourself reflected in a lot of media, and so it's really nice to see that stories are being told about people that aren't the mainstream straight white people," stated the CGS student. "A lot of people can feel what they are is wrong, or what they are is weird, or it's not ok to be seen."

The show not only has representation in the characters but in the cast and crew as well. The director of the show, Euros Lyn, stated in a video about the show's creation that he wanted the show to be cast accurately. For example, they cast an actual trans actress to play a transgender character, Elle Argent, and all of the actors who were supposed to play teenagers were real teenagers. There are many shows and movies that cast adults to play teenagers, which can affect the way children view their own bodies.  

"I really like the sort of choices they've made around casting; I think they did a really good job of bringing these characters to life," the CGS student commented. 

LGBTQIA+ people are more likely to be discriminated against in the workplace, especially in jobs in Hollywood. A survey showed that 53% of its LGBTQIA+ respondents felt that directors and producers are biased towards LGBTQIA+ people. This is one more reason why hiring is LGBTQIA+ workers for productions about LGBTQIA+ people is necessary, so that they are able to accurately portray the stories, without facing discrimination during the process. Lyn also made sure that as much of the crew hired was from the LGBTQIA+ community as possible.

"I wanted as many of those people [the crew] as possible to be from the LGBTQ+ communities, so they could bring their experiences and identify the bits of the story that can only be from an LGBTQ perspective," Lyn explained.

This is a big step forward for diversity in media. Authentic stories, especially stories from minorities, can often get lost in big companies.

"Netflix is such a big company, and it's really exciting that they are starting to do more of these projects that really help people," mentioned the CGS student. 

Netflix has around 214 million subscribers worldwide, so the media it puts out is widely viewed and influences many people globally. Having shows like Heartstopper sends a message to its subscribers and allows many people to have access to see people like them on screen.  

"It's [also] great that it will be like in countries that are maybe earlier on, on their journey to acceptance,” said Joe Locke, the actor who plays Charlie Spring, in an interview. Netflix is “the perfect place for that." 

Recently, there has been more LGBTQIA+ representation on Nextflix, including shows like Young Royals, Atypical, and Sex Education. These shows continue to be stepping stones for more mainstream LGBTQIA+ stories and help increase acceptance worldwide. 

Dearborn explained the way these shows are so impactful to youth, especially to those coming to terms with their sexuality.

"Instead of feeling a lot of shame about how you are feeling, you can watch shows about it and be like these people are in a man loving man relationship, or a woman loving woman relationship, and they're happy, and they're good, and you're like the way I'm feeling is normal."