@wgacooper
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Heartstopper's Joe Locke Officially Comes Out as Gay
British actor Joe Locke came out publicly recently. The Heartstopper lead has long assumed to have been queer, but he’s never acknowledged his sexuality — until now.
Locke, 19, spoke with Teen Vogue, and shared that he’s been out for a while.
“I have been openly gay since I was, like, 12,” Locke explained. “People have assumed and written it, [but] I haven’t ever corrected anyone because I haven’t felt the need to – I’ve never specifically stated my sexuality [until now].”
In the Netflix series Heartstopper, Locke plays Charlie Spring, an out teenager who develops a crush and then a relationship with another boy at his school, Nick Nelson (played by Kit Connor). The first season won praise for its depiction of queer high schoolers and the development and chemistry between Locke’s and Connor’s characters. The show is written by Alice Oseman who also created the graphic novels on which the series is based.
“It’s a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their [Locke's family’s] lives are affected by choices in my life,” Locke told Teen Vogue. “It’s a mutual thing. I need to learn my boundaries and people need to learn theirs. Most attention comes from a really good place, and I hope I always appreciate that.”
That pressure from the outside world forced Locke’s co-star out of the closet before he was ready. Connor wrote on a post last year that he was bi, then later voiced how criticism of alleged queerbaiting led to him making a public statement about his sexuality.
"I also don’t know if I would have ever done it," Connor told British Vogue recently. "But at the end of the day I don’t regret it. In many ways it was really empowering."
Locke was proud of his co-star for how he handled that situation, he told the magazine. “We were all very proud of him, and we’re proud of him controlling the narrative,” he said. “I’m very proud of him for doing his own thing and what was right for him.”
He added that it also made him appreciate his own boundaries and privacy.
“There’s an idea that it’s part of the job to lose your privacy, that you lose your right to having privacy,” he shared. “That’s something I hope the next generation of people in the public eye can change – I think people are understanding that privacy is non-negotiable.”
Catch Locke in Heartstopper season 2 now streaming on Netflix. Last November, it was announced that Locke will star in the upcoming WandaVision spin-off Agatha: Coven of Chaos for Marvel Studios and Disney+.
Check out some images of Locke below.
Heartstopper: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Nick, Charlie and the gang return as they journey through the next chapter of life, love and friendship. 🍂SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/29qBUt7About Netflix:Netf...Latest Stories
Out and About with Sasheer Zamata
October 03 2024 3:08 PM
Thirsty pics from last URGE Miami 2023
August 28 2024 3:19 PM
Breckenridge, Colorado’s 10-Mile Pride is an unexpected haven of queer joy
June 30 2024 10:36 PM
11 of Sarah Paulson's Best Performances (So Far)
June 17 2024 3:21 PM
Pines Play lifestyle brand celebrates Fire Island just in time for Pride
June 16 2024 8:30 AM
35+ sizzling pics from Provincetown Pride 2024
June 11 2024 1:17 PM
Top 10 Pride destinations for Millennials
June 11 2024 11:41 AM
Check out these 5 ways to celebrate (and survive) Pride with the kids
June 05 2024 11:00 AM
LGBTQ+ Airbnb travelers rate their top 10 cities
June 05 2024 9:45 AM
Top 10 surprise Pride destinations
May 30 2024 11:30 AM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Get ready for a sizzling summer at Fire Island Pines in 2024
May 03 2024 9:00 AM
Scarlet fever: exploring our fascination, revulsion with blood
March 28 2024 6:45 PM
Go green with envy with 70 pics from Sidetrack Chicago's St. Patrick's Day party
March 28 2024 6:06 PM
Unleash your Winter Party 2024 cravings with these 30+ pics from last year
February 15 2024 3:54 PM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
2024 Primetime Emmys: LGBTQ+ celebs who walked the red carpet
January 15 2024 8:17 PM
25 pics of hot, shirtless celebs just to remind us of warmer weather
January 14 2024 10:47 AM