Sumith Prasad
Along with Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson’s enchanting relationship, Netflix’s British romantic series ‘Heartstopper’ follows Nick’s journey of self-exploration as he tries to figure out his sexual orientation. Even though he initially identifies himself as straight, the days he spends with Charlie motivate him to question his belief. He seeks the help of the internet to know whether he is gay or later bisexual. Since Charlie gives him adequate space and time to figure out the same, Nick makes progress in his journey and finally realizes what he really is. If you are eager to know whether he is gay or bisexual, let us share the answer! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is Nick Gay or Bisexual?
Nick is bisexual. Ever since his childhood, Nick has believed that he is straight. The early romantic awakening after kissing Tara at the age of 13 solidified his belief that he is heterosexual. When Charlie becomes a significant presence in his life, Nick starts to question his belief. He gets bewildered seeing his growing romantic affection toward his “friend.” He seeks the help of Google and even participates in online quizzes to know whether he is gay. Even after kissing Charlie, he continues his questioning. As a gay person, Charlie understands Nick’s emotional journey and extends his support to him.
Nick starts to consider the possibility of being bisexual after watching a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie with his mother Sarah. He feels attracted to Keira Knightley and realizes that he is still attracted to girls. He lets Charlie know that he can be bisexual and continues to figure out his sexuality. Ultimately, he realizes that he is indeed bisexual and lets his boyfriend know about the same. Accepting himself as bisexual is the first thing Nick does to strengthen his relationship with Charlie.
The realization concerning his sexual orientation gives Nick the courage to reveal his relationship with Charlie to the world. He tells his beloved that he is ready to come out to the people around them. Prior to promising the same to Charlie, he comes out as bisexual to Sarah, who affirms her love for her son.
The lives and experiences of Tara and Darcy further influence Nick to accept his sexuality and potentially come out as bisexual to a wider circle of people, irrespective of the homophobia present among his peers. In ‘Heartstopper,’ the source graphic novel of the show, Nick becomes more open about his sexual orientation after coming out to his mother.
Through Nick, creator Alice Oseman also aims for significant bisexual representation on TV. “Back when I was writing the [‘Heartstopper’] comics I was very aware that there was little bisexual representation anywhere, really. Heartstopper celebrates all kinds of different queer experiences and I like to show a variety of experiences and people who are different,” she said.
Kit Connor, who portrays Nick in the show, also talked about the relevance of Nick as a bisexual character. “I think male bisexuality is even less represented [than female or non-binary]…. It’s a real honour to be able to play Nick because it’s such an under represented kind of character, really,” he told Metro. The journey Nick completes to come out as bisexual is one of the most affecting storylines of ‘Heartstopper.’ The emotional conflicts he faces are relatable and relevant, making the series an important addition to the best LGBTQIA+ TV shows.
Read More: Where is Heartstopper Filmed?
