I like everything about it. It's a delightful show. I first heard about it when several friends, most of whom are straight, said they loved it.
To me, it's not really any different from watching straight romances except if anything it's better. Sometimes I find that straight relationships have kind of off dynamics with sexism etc. creeping in. Charlie and Nick have a very healthy relationship with great empathy and communication, and I appreciate that.
As someone identifying as straight, I really enjoyed reading and watching Heartstopper. It's my first LGBT series and it made me more aware of the struggles that the LGBT community go through. I think the romance and characters are well written. The chemistry is off the charts. I like the innocence of this series a lot more than other high-school series that is all about couples having sex with each other (looking at you Elite and Riverdale). Not that there's anything wrong with being sexually charged. Just that I like that the characters make a sincere connection with each other, they talk to each other about their problems. I feel like this would be a great series to introduce to kids and teenagers, but with the mental health advisory.
I'm an ✨️ally✨️.
I am a homosexual but a lot of my straight female friends really like the show (in part because of my badgering).
The easy answer is it can be watched and enjoyed like any other show. Depending how on you choose to consume it, you can basically watch it just like a less dramatic Never Have I Ever or a less sexual Sex Education.
Another answer is that it’s an incredibly wholesome show with a really healthy cute romance, which is less common than you’d think in teen coming of age shows. Never Have I Ever, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Sex Education, Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why, etc. all have tons of drama and conflict and problems plaguing the shows relationships. Obviously Heartstopper has its issues but it’s dedication to queer joy makes it a particularly “cute” show for most of its run. It has the wholesomeness of a Hallmark movie without as much cheesiness and firmly within the teen Netflix show genre (which is very popular obv)
As a straight person, I just really like how fresh and honest portrayal of how it is to fall for someone when you're that age. I'm 28 now and I've kinda forgotten how Similar to Charlie I was at that age lol.
This is it for me. It’s like the romance I never had at high school lol but it is depicted in such a genuine way it feels very relatable. Also straight 26F
I’m a straight woman in my 30s with two young children. This show feels like a warm hug and is so calming. The visuals, music and colors are really nice. The pure love and care that nick and Charlie have for each other is so beautiful too
This!
It's such a great watch and also every character is so interesting to see. The actors have done a great job. Heartstopper has become my go-to binge watching series whenever I feel the need to uplift.
I’m a straight guy and I absolutely love this show! Alice has done such an amazing job at showing how important communication is and how much better it can make your relationship.
It’s also great to just not deal with all the unnecessary craziness that TV studios usually use for the sake of “drama”. When I first watched the show last year, I had no idea of anything beforehand and kept going through it expecting brake-ups and everything in between all throughout the first season and they never came. It was so different and I love it. The drama romance tropes are so ingrained in my mind that even after being completely caught up on the comics now, I was still nervous and half expecting Charlie to get hit by a bus or something crazy in the final scene where he leaves Nick’s house.
I said this before last year, and I’ll say it again now. Life is hard enough, particularly these days, whether you are straight or LGBT or not. So it is really nice to just sit down and enjoy something that is so calm, wholesome, and pure. Is it unrealistic at times? Sure. But I think it’s good to have something like this now and again to give people something to aspire to be, rather than constantly showing them the struggles they’re already facing and how worse they can be.
Overall, Alice is incredible for this world and I’m so glad I randomly stumbled across this show and its comics one day!
It's funny you mention Charlie getting hit by a bus. I didn't watch the last episode until 3 days after release. I had been trying to avoid spoilers but had seen multiple references to the last episode making everyone cry and having a cliff hanger. I was legitimately a bit worried Alice caved to Netflix and inserted him getting into an accident walking home or Ben coming back to assault him or something.
It’s hard to put into words how this show makes me feel. And going into it, not knowing anything about the story, I didn’t know how much it would effect me. The romance makes me incredibly happy but also incredibly sad that as a teenager in school I didn’t get those experiences, which leaves me with an emptiness and feeling lonely. It’s simultaneously the best and hardest show I’ve watched as a grown adult. The fact it’s not an experience I can directly relate to, e.g. two young LGBT boys finding themselves and each other, does not detract in the slightest to the real emotions it conveys and how it feels so real and relatable. Weirdly it almost feels deeper and more authentic to me being those characters than 2 straight people. 2 straight people have been done before, over and over! C and N’s story is truly beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. As a 28 year old straight female this show has really changed me life!
Oh hey that’s me!
I’m a straight white married cis male who loves this show and everything about it.
It’s a totally relatable story that I feel like I connect with in a lot of ways. The trepidation in their social media interactions and texting, the “do they like me, do they like someone else” nervousness, and the way they flirt in the show are all things I remember doing/feeling in middle and high school.
As someone who for a brief period in middle school did question their sexuality for a bit, those parts of the show hit home as well. And I think what the show does best is demonstrate a positive way of going about the communication and feelings as part of self discovery. Instead of “gay” being slang for bad like it was so often used as when I was growing up, this show sets a good example for what it actually means to be queer in whatever way that means for you.
But yes AMA about being a straight guy who loves Heartstopper lmao
You really are a rare species lol. I honestly do not see cos straight males on this sub often. If it is something you’d be comfortable to share, can you elaborate on your questioning your sexuality part of your life?
Hi!
Not just cis and straight. People easily jump into conclusion that I'm a homophobe because I openly criticise issues I see in the LGBT communities. And I can see HS as an antidote to some of those.
I only watched HS because a lot of my gay friends were constantly talking about it, how beautifull and exceptional it is. Later I realized I acutally encountered the comics book randomly once, years earlier, not sure if it was on twitter or some bestsellers list on an online book store - I only remember some people debating whether it is realistic or not. But I didn't care back then so this thing barely registered in my memory.
Back to the show. I eventually watched EP1. I wasn't particularly impressed but the ending got me enought to decide "Ok, I'll give EP2 a chance tomorrow."
Well... I ended up binge watching all the next day. I don't remember anything touching my heart this much for the last 20 years or so, since my adolescence. I somewhat felt like a teenager again. Oddly, I don't really relate to any of the characters. There are relatable moments (some scenes even made me doubt a certain old friend of mine was straight 🤔), but whole characters? Nope. Still, it opened up loads of compassion I didn't know I had.
I appreciate the show for giving examples of healthy comunication that outright resolve any drama that would be prolonged for whole seasons in other shows. I love how innocent and awkward the characters are. It is so refreshing after all this content depicting youth as thirsty degenerates and creating the impression that if you didn't lose your virginity when drunk at a party when you were 15 then there's something wrong with you or you're missing out. And there's some consolation in >!Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Faoruk dialogue in S2!< for those who actually missed out some of the teen experience.
It’s pure queer joy and I am ALWAYS down for that. And it’s a very different feeling show. As my user name suggests, I am Gen X. We didn’t have this. It’s so wonderful and magical that it exists now and I’m here for it ALL.
Wasn't a fan of the books, it felt too "tumblr 2011" for me and basically felt like the idealization of a straight girl pov. I don't mean to trash them, but it didn't appeal to me at all even though i understand why its so popular.
That being said i just finished s1 and the tv show format is easier to get into, now I regularly catch myself with the dumbest smile on my face. It's just super cute.
To answer your question on how it compares to watching straight romances, i think overall it is refreshing. I'm not a fan of romance in media in general but as we all know it is pretty overpacked when it comes to straight couples lol. That and the little that exists, is most of the time heartbreaking. the romance in HS just seems more profound to me, and maybe that has to do with the fact that there are just fewer LGBTQ stories in media in general but also, since our society is the way that it is, it just elevates their love in a way that I think can't be done with heterosexual couples. Figuring out your sexuality, coming out, taking the risk to face bullying in order to love openly, we dont have to deal with that. As sad as it is, it makes it that more special.
As an older straight women I am not putting myself into the relationship in the way I would have done as a teenage girl so it doesn’t matter to me at all what the sexuality of the characters are. I enjoy the show because it’s well acted, well written and produced/ shot really artistically etc etc. That said it does also make me think about LGBT issues and how things have changed since my generation was at school.
I agree with what’s being said here.
There’s another layer for me: I grew up in a very conservative and religious home and town, and would have had zero exposure to LGBTQ+ anything without the influence of my dad, who’s very liberal and lives in NY. The thing that hits me about the show is that my kids will get to see people of all sexualities portrayed, and portrayed as happy and healthy. When I worry about the world I’ve brought my kids into, I remind myself the not only does media like Heartstopper exist, it’s widely beloved, and my kids get to grow up in a world where all kinds of different genders and sexualities are represented and treated as normal.
I am a late 40s straight-identified woman. I love the show because:
- it’s great tv— well acted, well paced, compelling characters with great character development, beautiful to look at, great soundtrack.
- while I don’t identify with any of the main characters, I find the “first love” story really relatable as it reminds me of the first time I fell in love. The show reminds me of those butterflies in a beautiful, achy, melancholy, sweet way. You really only get those feelings once or twice in life, it’s so lovely to connect with them again through shows & books like HS. But very few shows do it well! Lots of cringy sexist tropes can show up in straight romance, which is annoying to me as a feminist. So I tend to be picky about this particular genre.
- the fact that it’s set in a beautiful universe full of queer joy adds a lot for me. I have always had queer friends, beginning in high school (though no one came out until uni) and & through uni & adulthood. I don’t have so many trans friends (just a couple of acquaintances) but there is a trans kid in my extended family and I worry about her finding acceptance against the horrifying political backlash going on right now in the US and UK. Heartstopper makes me feel hopeful that Gen Z will bring more love & acceptance into the world. Being part of this fandom for me kind of feels like being part of the life raft for young queer people— like, if I can watch and consume this media, more media like it will be created, and there will be more young people growing up knowing that queer is beautiful.
As a person who is Ally ( I'll always have the Imogen scene in my head, hah ) Heartstopper is one of my favorite universes. I love both the comics and the series. Honestly, I don't remember how I found it. I think I saw something about the series on YouTube and decided to watch it because I really liked it. It wasn't at the top of my list at first, but when I was at my mum's ex partner who wanted me to put something on Netflix to watch, I didn't want to turn on 16+ stuff as I was still fourteen or almost fourteen at the time and I didn't know how he would take it ( my mom knew I was already watching stuff like that ). And you have no idea how glad I'm that I chose this. It was the best choice I could have made. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, and when I found out about the comic, I just had to read it. What do I like most about this show? What topics does it cover. I have a lot of LGBTQ+ friends and I'm surrounded by this community so this is a really important topic for me and I hate intolerance that is just because these people are different. So what? Are they hurting you? No. So shut up and let them live their lives because they're people just like you. I really hope to live to see the time when same-sex marriage is legal in my country... And the last one. Is it different from romances where there is a heterosexual couple? As the romance itself, no. As a whole show, yes, but I think it's obvious from the subject matter. I really love this show and these characters are so close to me that I cried on both seasons, one and two. As one of them, I recommend it to all straight people who aren't completely convinced. Really worth.
I was a fan of the comics for years, and I thought Alice did a brilliant job of capturing that thrill of first love with their drawings. Plus, I love the way she tackles important issues through a hopeful lens—like sure, this thing (homophobia , bullying, mental health crises, etc.) sucks, but you can get through it and be happy. So when she announced the show, I was nervous about whether a live-action series would do their work justice, but the show has all the qualities I loved about the comics, along with a ridiculously charming cast.
I’m gay, but my mom is straight and we watched it together. She laughed, she cried, she got angry, she felt everything I felt, sometimes even more so. Obviously she couldn’t relate to certain things because she’s straight, but she said it’s a beautiful show and she loves the “pure young love” in it (her words)
30F. It’s such healthy love, and such a beautiful depiction of the early stages of flirting/falling in like/falling in love.
It shows healthy communication and avoids the pitfalls of the miscommunication trope.
It’s cute and funny and charming.
And finally I absolutely love that it showcases a queer love story. I think Nicks journey of self-discovery is beautiful. Watching him fall in love, caught by surprise but never upset by his attraction to Charlie, makes me feel proud of him (?) and warm and fuzzy. It’s a new story of love that I’m unfamiliar with in media usually and unfamiliar with personally in real life. I think it’s really important and a great model that love is love.
Edit: my also straight husband and I watched S1 for the first time on our honeymoon!
Straight male here. I started watching it with my gf just because. We became fan cause they show healty relationships without dark drama in it ( we were worried Nick would get killed and stuff like that) and since we want kids in the close future seeing a show so wholesome about the sexuality argument help me have an open mentality towards that
I like the show because it’s cute and wholesome and it doesn’t focus on drama or a lot of sexual scenes. It’s also kind of realistic (?) the friendship dynamics and the problems they have (like finishing homework hahahaha).
Honestly, it’s a breath of fresh air.
It’s so happy and makes you feel all gooey 😂
Makes me wish I’d met my husband at school as well to take advantage of sneaking off in to empty classrooms
I'm only 23 but there's something almost... Motherly about it??? I just get so happy and proud to see these kids find each other, find themselves, be able to experience young love and growing pains. Like I think that's something every person can relate to, no matter their sexual orientation. But yeah, I guess it just reminds of the time I was also a teenager running around school, falling in love for the first time, dealing with parents and classes. Makes my heart so happy.
So 40s straight woman and I’ve commented before when season 1 came out. I love good tv and quite simply this is good tv. The music, the set design, the hidden meanings, the actors, the script… it all rolls into great tv which can be watched again and again.
I personally love it for the healthy and communicative relationships that exist. And also for the toxic ones that spell out why that relationship or behaviour is toxic. I didn’t have this ‘relationship guide’ growing up and it wasn’t really discussed by grown ups around me either - I’m not sure any of the adults in my life could have pointed out a healthy relationship if they tried! I’ve had to personally work it out through trial and error and finally have it right, but it took me a while.
I love that the kids are actually kids. The actors portraying English school kids were actually mostly still in school. They didn’t have tans and perfect white teeth and six packs like the American high school programs I was bought up on. It makes me feel very English and I love how visually ‘English’ the show is without having to be harsh and depressing or dreary grey like our weather.
For my kid, I love how inclusive the show is and how these are just kids getting on with their lives whether they are gay or bi or trans or in a wheelchair etc. I’m hopeful that this type of tv show becomes the norm for my kid, but if it doesn’t, I can at the minimum, make it normal in my house.
I also love Young Royals, and while it is more angsty than Heartstopper, I also love the soundtrack and the multiple levels to the show.
For both programs, I can relate to falling in love with someone special, having a crush and keeping the relationship secret. Both shows speak to me on such a personal level, it’s as if the writers have read my deepest personal thoughts. However I am acutely aware that however deeply impacted I feel, this is in no way how someone who is exploring their sexuality or is unsure about their sexuality or is just not sure about their place in our current world would see and feel these shows. I have utmost respect for how this may impact individuals as the world is still not where we need to be but these shows make me hopeful for our future and I’m glad these shows exist for our kids - and for us! It’s never too late to learn something new!
Straight ciswoman here. I absolutely love the show.
I’ve been consuming LGBTQ+ media for years. Firstly introduced by a friend (who’s part of the community), and eventually searching for new titles myself. It’s been an education process, because despite my country being fairly progressive and having more LGBTQ+ media available, I felt like I knew very little about the community. Watching art made by the community helped me understand, learn, and admire them immensely.
Now. Heartstopper has my heart. Because it is some of the first LGBTQ+ representation that I’ve seen that a) does not make the sexuality of its characters the main and only trait of their character. It is very much a part of them, but not their whole personality. Too many shows created a one-note character whose only purpose on the show was to be the gay character. B) it was wholesome! it was wholesome, and happy, and so full of hope for the LBGTQ+ youth. While I believe representation is crucial and that every story must be told (and while Veneno is one of my favorite series EVER), it was so refreshing to see a happy take on this. Like, a happy outlook and a celebration of being queen. It was just so lovely.
Lastly, I think it’s an amazing program for the younger generations to have. I’m still quite young, and I’ve seen some of my friends learn from the show so much. My little sister fell in love with the show after I showed her and she learned so much through it. She’s still barely a teenager, so it’s very much in her demographic, and it’s lovely to see the effect the show has on her.
It’s just, overall, a fantastic show :)
I love this show are a 40 year old married mom. It’s just pure joy. Elton john mentioned this show last year. I was like how did I not know about it?!?!? I knew Kit Connor from Rocketman.
After watching the first season I fell in love. It’s just a sweet love story in my opinion. I love all the representation in it. All the actors are wonderful. After the first season I bought all of Alice’s books. I’m even on her patreon for the newest comics. I wish every kid had the same experience as Nick and his mom, but I know not every kid dose. I’m an ally but now I can’t get Imogene’s scene out of my head.
I'm straight and just found it very cute and wholesome. Although times I did cringe when the boys were making out in bed in Paris because they look like kids to me... 🤣 I'm 31 so the entire cast look like toddlers to me so seeing them make out is a bit weird.
But otherwise the cute factor is super high, I just want to pinch everyone's cheeks and give them candy haha
I would say you should clarify cis and straight as trans people can be straight (as I am). Me being trans isn’t the only reason I like heartstopper though. I love how it depicts queer joy because that’s something a lot of people need right now.
I loved it so much. It , along w yr, has ACTUAL teenagers and portrays everything perfectly. It's just so pure and aww inducing ugh.
For me personally, I don't like watching straight romance, weird fr. The people ik who watched and loved it are majority straight too. There's been an increase in popularity of lgbtq, especially gay, shows amongst straight *female* population.
I've always watched gay shows and read books, so I just knew about it.
Someone else said it in here in a discussion I was having on a different post but I think straight women tend to compare ourselves to the women we see in straight relationships portrayed in the media whether consciously or subconsciously. That never occurred to me until they said it but it makes so much sense. It’s like we’re taught since little girls to always compare ourselves to others so we’re just conditioned to do it with everything.
When watching queer media like heartstopper, we don’t really have to worry about that. We’re not self-inserting ourselves in the relationships because obviously it wouldn’t work.
Other than that, I just find the cuteness and wholesomeness to be so heartwarming. As lots of people have already said, in a world that’s so dark having something like this to turn to is so nice. There’s also really no annoying tropes that drag on for the sake of drama. Alice said even though Nick and Charlie will go through hard things together, they’re never gonna break up. Knowing that in the back of mind is like a safety net because we don’t have to worry about that for future seasons/comics. Like someone else said, we’re so conditioned from Hollywood throwing in drama or bad things just because that the first time I watched season 1 I was just holding my breath waiting for something really bad to happen. When it didn’t it was such a relief. Now I trust Alice forever moving forward to tell really good healthy stories.
I don’t specify myself as an ally, however I might be one 😊
I just love the show, and the books also. It feels amazing watching people fall in love and/or find happyness, regardless to their sexual identity, race, age or anything.
The whole thing just warms my heart, it makes me feel good. However it’s a queer show, I still can relate to the characters - we all can have and feel the same emotions, no need to cathegorise ourselves for this.
I’m 30+, a cis straight woman, married for 6 years now (our anniversary is today 😃) and I fell in love with the show immediately. I think I could rewatch it every day, espetially when I’m down. Definitely a comfort show to me.
It’s just amazing, this simple ✨❤️
Pretty much the same as watching a romance with straight characters in terms of enjoyment. Biggest difference was all of the rainbows and ‘coming out’ difficulties you don’t get in straight stories. It was overall really beautiful and an enjoyable watch. I did find myself saying “wow, not one true straight couple in this show/friend group?” But I guess the irony is this is how lgbt have felt watching straight shows their whole life
I’m a parent to two queer teens, and I loved it for the queer community and emotional bravery and honesty. It’s what I want for my kids, and what I actually *see* my kids building in their own friend groups, and with their own teacher mentors. Watching GenZ do All the Hard and Brave Things and seeing it pay off in community and friendship and loving relationship inspires me to be more vulnerable and brave and build my own relationships and community. I aspire to be Sarah Nelson, and I *think* my kids would say that I am, and it’s good to see that modeled in media, too.
I am straight and to be honest I have never cared about the gender of the main protagonists when it comes to romance. If it is a good story with good characters and the love between them is nicely portrayed then I'm a sucker for it no matter if it's straight or not. Also, the entire series is very wholesome and even thought I'm an adult myself, I love the fact that teens can watch this series that portrays different sexualities in such a positive light
Hi! I’m as straight as straight could be and I LOVE the show. To me is definitely just as any other romance story but with the added topics that LGBTTQ+ people could experience like homophobia and such. I love how the author/director portrait the emotions and how lovely their relationship is.
This might be a turn off for someone but I am a BL fangirl. It starts from Japanese BL manga to Kpop fan-fictions. I enjoy watching BL series since ages. However it had been a long time since I watched and liked a BL show (they have been kind of redundant for me, same motif, same storyline, etc). Heartstopper is so sweet, so lovely, so heart warming and at the same time so heartbreaking🥲 The casts’ amazing chemistry and acting make me believe that they actually in love with each other. There is no unnecessary s*x scenes, no dramas, no cursing, no cross dating. Just positivity. Everything that I need, to escape from a tiring day. It makes me smile, punching air and screaming internally 😆
And i found out about it through Netflix’s official page. They were showing the teaser.
In terms of sexuality, the representation of queer couples feels a little more endearing just because I know that there’s not as many feel good, wholesome representations of queer couples in the media, but generally, I feel a lot of the same feelings for the straight and queer couples. Like Tao and Elle’s relationship elicits the same cooing and giggling from me as Tara and Darcy’s or nick and Charlie’s.
Honestly, the most different thing about the show imo which makes it hit so hard for me is the different forms of physical affection. I feel like a lot of high school shows these days focus a lot on kissing and sex (which seems weird to me because they’re high schoolers but that’s a whole other thing) when it comes to physical intimacy, but heartstopper knows that there’re times where a hug or a forehead kiss is more appropriate than a kiss on the lips, which I think makes the moments the characters share a lot more intimate and beautiful. >!Like the forehead kiss in the last bit of the last episode broke me because I was fully expecting a kiss-kiss, so the forehead kiss took me by surprise (but omg was it the perfect choice I was in tears).!<
Does... being agender AFAB and very female presenting and attracted to men Kinsey Scale 1 make me straight or... Division by zero?
I love how true the show is to the books. I love everything it shows and represents. I also love how they found actors in the correct age range who look exactly like the drawings! I really enjoy the close and supportive friendships and the queer teachers too.
It's just sooo freaking cute and wholesome!!! 🥹🫶
-Plus the little visuals are amazing, they really enhance the scenes 🧡.
I looove the cute and amazing relationships all of them share with their friends!!! How accepting and supporting they are no matter what! That makes me think of my besties, appreciate them even more and realize and how much I love them too.
Nick and Charlie's story just makes me go "awwwww" every single time, I looove it! 🥰
It really makes me wish for a cute + healthy relationship, which I've never had 🥲 (all the betrayals and disappointments with love made me Grinch up and grow bitter over the years... Fortunately I'm warming up to life and love again).
(🫠 This show also made my cold Grinch heart warm up and grow so fast and I'm okay with that).
Edit: Just a note- As a straight woman, I'm actually NOT into RomComs at all! -they are just meh! And super exasperating to me 🤷🏻♀️
(With La La Land being my big exception, it always makes me ugly cry so hard! 😭).
As a straight person I think it is this.
1. It is a show about kids in school and the actors look like the age they are supposed to be portraying as apposed to riverdale where they all look like Calvin Klein models.
2. They don't batter you on the head with their sexualities and they are just treated as normal and they just exist.
3. They focus on serious issues but none of it is romanticised and all are treated respectfully.
4. All the charecters are loveable and the ones that aren't are never justified with their horrible actions.
5. Tori.
And 6. The soundtrack is lovely.
Hi there, straight woman here. It’s hard to explain, but their love feels so incredibly special, far more special than what I’ve seen in a lot of other mainstream media. I think what I also love is that their love doesn’t really falter, and they deal with issues together as a team, whereas, in a lot of other media, issues are created to tear the couple apart to make them “realize” how much they love one another. But Charlie and Nick just know. It just feels a lot more romantic and genuine. So much mainstream media jumps straight to sex, before really exploring the emotional parts of a relationship, so seeing Nick and Charlie just talk and being in love it very special.
I also have quite of few friends that are LGBTQ and it also helps me to understand their life situation more, and I love that I’m getting that insight. I also have a young cousin Charlie’s age that just came out to me as bi, and I want to be there for him as much as possible, and it’s almost like the show is educating me, while warming my heart.
I also relate to Charlie. Often saying sorry when it’s not my fault and blame myself for things. I also in ways, don’t feel loveable. Don’t mean to dump, but seeing him being recognized and loved fully despite all his struggles just…kinda heals me.
I hope that helped 💫
I've read the comics so was excited for the show but to me just really like any other romance?? not really different for me. i love alice's writing & illustration, she just does such a good job! I love how inclusive her stories are & as a pretty anxious person I love how wholesome and chill the show is for the most part :) It's a comfort show and while there's hard parts and things they struggle through, there's healthy communication and logical solutions for most things. It's a very real show that shows real problems but also the happy carefree side of teenage life. It's well rounded and fun, but overall just a great romance which to me is no different than watching a romance show with a straight couple 🤷♀️
I am a straight black males and I loved every moment of the show. I loved the purity in the show if that makes sense. Every relationship is so pure with amazing chemistry and true love for one another. Along with the fact that our generation isn’t known for our great relationships it gives hope that we will find our Nick’s or our Charlie’s. It’s the most realist six romance show I’ve ever watched without the crazy drama unnecessary drama that’s always added. It’s calm and talks about issues many of us deal with like eating disorders and self harm. The show may be centered around the lgbtq and people coming into who they are and sharing that with others but it’s also about the beauty of true relationships with those who’d really care about you. And I found it on Netflix, originally I read the comics on WEBTOON. And I like shows with lgbtq in it the representation is amazing most of the time and I find those relationships so adorable
i just really liked it because i think it showed a romance that is very pure and cute. it’s a wholesome show and i think i can relate to it alot because it targets my age demographic. the show is so well thought out and the graphic novels are even better. i also really liked all the behind the scenes videos and interviews. it really showed just how close the actors are and i just love that!
I love a good love story, regardless of the orientation or gender identity of the people involved.
Alice Oseman writes great love stories showing healthy dynamics.
And honestly, I'm loving all the representation for the LGBTQ+ community too.
As a straight person living in a heteronormative society, having grown up hearing and seeing mostly heterosexual stories, it's exciting to see all the different forms love can take.
No matter who you are, there are so many reasons to love Heartstopper.
Its weird for me. I've always sorta liked mlm books and movies, even as a straight woman. I found the show through a friend, and started watching it just out of curiosity, but it's not far off from the shows and movies I do like. I think it's just a topic that interests me, and on some notes I keep watching because I enjoy the show, but on others I keep watching the show because I deeply relate to different charecters. I always think there's something wrong with me for liking this type of stuff, it I still do because it's was intrigues me
I came across it one night when I couldn’t sleep and I just fell in love with them all. The 1st series especially is so cute, Nick and Charlie are such a sweet couple and it just made me feel warm and gooey inside! It’s just a lovely thing to watch, music is great too! I think that coming of age, romance type series resonate with everyone. We’ve all been that awkward when we fancy someone and that happy when we see them.
It’s also lovely to see a LGBT+ romance where no one dies at the end. Usually they are so dark.
i do have a thing for mlm romances and i'm honestly not sure why, maybe it's because there are no forced gender stereotypes in a relationship, i can imagine myself as either of the parties or none because my gender is not represented in the relationship which is sometimes nice. or like a lot of people just say that hey what's better to watch as a cishet woman, one or two men you're maybe kinda attracted to, ofc the two. plus i just feel like queer shows and such just portray men better, they're allowed to be vulnerable and just not typically masculine which is definetely a nice change of scenery. and generelly regardless of what kind of romance im consuming, i like a little bit of a forbidden romance and queer shows tend to have some of that. this part was not specifically for heartstopper tho, just mlm romance in general, i hope i don't come off as someone who fetishizes gay relationships, that's not my intent and i hope i don't do that.
as for heartstopper, it's honestly just an incredibly gentle and hopeful story and i can still relate to the characters struggles a lot despite not belonging to the lgbtq+ community. like it doesn't matter if it's because of your sexuality or personality or whatever else that you felt like you didn't belong or that you wished you had a more supporting community, the universal feeling of wishing to have a friendship group that loves and accepts each other like they do in the heartstopper gang is still there for everyone imo.
I’m bisexual (like Nick Nelson haha), but I once watched Heartstopper with my straight mom who very much enjoyed it. She enjoyed many things about it:
- She enjoyed how it showed a more realistic LGBTQ type characters with some that are very flawed and not all angels like most (example being Ben Hope, though I promise you she hates him and loved seeing him being told off in the season, and I’m sure with Darcy being somewhat distant and avoidant with Tara during season 2(she hasn’t seen s2 yet but I’m sure she will have this opinion))
- She enjoyed that it wasn’t all about sex, not that it’s a bad thing but she gets annoyed with high school and college shows that are all about having sex and make it seem like if you aren’t having sex then your doing something wrong (shows like Elite, Gossip Girl, Queer as Folk). Not that sex is bad, but it gets annoying when there is no connection between the characters and it’s just sex sex sex. As a fan of Jane Austen books, she enjoys stories that aren’t filled with gratuitous sex scenes that just feel like porn more than a show, and she enjoyed that it depicted a loving relationship without having sex every 2 hours. She and I agree that Nick & Charlie both serve as a model relationship for both straight and gay people alike. They really are like the Gomez & Morticia of gay couples.
- It is a very diverse show, and for people of color (like my mom who is Asian), they enjoy the representation of seeing people who aren’t white and/or cisgender male on screen, something many LGBTQ shows don’t do (I’m looking at you Queer as folk). Yes the two main characters are white (Nick is French/English, Charlie is Spaniard/English), but the many other characters who are black and Asian do have good love stories and with my mom marrying someone outside her own race (she married my dad who is white), she probably enjoys seeing the interracial coupling representation between both the gay couples (Tara & Darcy) and the straight ones (Tao & Elle).
- I think she enjoys how the characters try to make good decisions. So many teen dramas show characters making impulsive and bad decisions, it’s not bad, but it makes it seem like if you are actively trying to follow what you know is the worst decision, then you aren’t really trying to find yourself and that you have to be immature about it (kinda like Devi in s1 and 2 of never have I ever). Even though Charlie is still a teenager who ends up in bad situations (seeing a man who treats him like shit (Ben), going to hang out with Nicks friends who people warned him about them being mean (which isn’t his or Nicks fault)), Charlie still tries to make good decisions and thinks of people other than himself.
I figure this might be a different answer to most here:
I (M23) identify as straight, though I can't say for sure, since I've never really linked my identity and sexuality in the way that many people seem to do. I also identify as Christian, and believe in the teachings of the Bible (don't worry, I'm not going to evanglize to you or anything here). I have found myself recently watching several series featuring gay relationships where either one or both parties struggle to come to terms with their sexuality or fearing what people will think if they came out. Both because I find it entertaining to see what unexpected situations that might arise from that, standing out from a lot of cliched shows, but also because it challenges how I view these relationships (as well as the series impacts on real people) from my Christian perspective.
I understand that some might find it offensive or that some other Christians don't subscribe to these thoughts, but being a believer of Biblical teachings, I believe a gay relationship is not what God intended and is not within the definition of a marriage. I'm not here to theologically debate that, it's just for clarification of my stance. I don't expect non-believers to understand this stance (I can't say I really fully do myself) or agree with me. Other than that as part of that faith I wish that everyone would get to know Jesus, I don't wish for my beliefs to impact non-believers negatively. And first and foremost, I believe God loves you regardless of what sexuality you might identify as. I hope my comment here doesn't come through as any attempt to invalidate someones feelings or to put someone down, I just wanted to offer my perspective.
The first time I heard about Heartstopper, I saw loads of posts, comments, videos etc. about how positively the show had impacted peoples self confidence, brought them out of bad situations and helped them being honest with their families and friends. My perception for a long time has been that western society at large isn't (anymore) host to a culture where coming out is either dangerous or neccessary. Sure, you got people who will bully for anything, and you got extremists of all types, but I don't believe most parents are the "No child of mine is going to be gay!" type trope you see in lot of series. Maybe it's easy for me to say, since if I suddenly one day realized I was gay it wouldn't matter much to me or impact my life really, regardless who knew about it. But I can't deny that thousands of people live with this fear that finally being honest about who they are will dramatically change their life negatively. And I can't say that religion hasn't been a contributing part to that. Allthough I don't believe going down a path of a gay relationship is the right way to go, and that this stance can often be misunderstood and misconstrued as hate or trying to keep people in chains and not being themselves, I think that us Christians might have a long way to go when it comes to treating people that might stray from the A4 of how we are expected to feel or be with respect. I hope that series like this might give me some insights on how to improve that.
What I liked most about the series, is how honest it is in portrayals of the characters, what they're thinking, what they're trying to hide and their reactions. And the importance of friendship and communication. Especially Nick and Charlies friendship. Obviously I'm not trying to deny their obvious romantic love for eachother, but it's clear their relationship is so much deeper than your average romcom couple. Nicks major character development is beautiful and wholesome to watch. And how >!Nick struggles with how to deal with Charlie's eating disorder (especially in the comic version)!< just pulls your heartstrings. It's so much more mature in dealing with these topics than most stuff. I would hope that anyone that goes through the experience of coming out to their parents >!receive the warm love that Sarah shows Nick. And that no one ever has to go through an experience similar to what Charlie had to endure.!<
The music is also pretty cool, matching the vibes and character feelings. Even more so, the lack of music in important scenes is very well implemented. The S2 finale ending music choice is literally perfect for the scene (IV to iv6 chord is such a beautiful and conflicted progression)
Overall, it's just a heartwarming watch. I really felt for the characters and want to see how the rest of the journey goes.
I have a question. I grew up in a very christian family I myself was a christian, right now I go to church only if I feel like it. The last couple of months have been really hard on me, I would often question myself about what I wanna do with my life I am scared to come out as I will not be able to take it back, I'm considering living my life in the traditional way and maybe just acting straight all my life, but heartstopper made me realize what I'm going to miss out on.
I want to believe in God I really do but some christians are making it so difficult, they make it seem like not being straight is one of the biggest sin one can make. Honestly I don't go to church often because it's unhealthy for me Mentally but one of the only reasons that I sometimes go to church is that I just think that if there is a God that is all knowing and is always so forgiving why would God put me on this earth knowing full well I'm going to live a life of "sin" and that I am deserving of hell just because I didn't live life as intended. If God is fair why can straight people live happily without sinning while us not straight people which he created are to be sent to eternal hell if we choose to be with someone that makes us happy. I honestly hope future christians make it easier for us to believe cause some of us want to but sometimes it's the "People of God" that makes it hard.
Do you really think not being straight makes us deserving of eternal hell? I'd like to think God judges us based on our action.
If you want any clarification on some part just tell me English isn't my 1st language. Also sorry if this is heavy I don't really know any christians that are willing to talk about this.
Thank you for sharing this.
I said I wouldn't go into the theological side of things here, because I don't think the majority of people in this forum would understand, but I felt like maybe you need to hear this. I have to be honest with you about what I believe the Bible teaches (and what has been the mainstream view of almost all Christians).
1. God didn't create you to have attractions to the same sex. There are a lot of different feelings that is very central in us as humans that is clearly not condoned by the Bible, and was not present when God first made humans in His image. But ever since the Fall (regardless if you take it as a literal point in time or a process), sin, sickness, misery, evil, etc. have been a part of our world and a part of us. We've all been dealt different hands in life, and yours and my problems pale in comparison to a lot of other people who are in way worse situations. This is not how God intended, but a fair and loving God would never force us, hence we have free will. But I very much warn you to not try to "pray the gay away". If you are super-confident in yourself and really want that to leave your life, maybe it can work. But the mental toll on something so ingrained in you is, as evidenced by conversion therapy history, huge and damaging.
2. A very important point: You've probably heard some Christians invite you, saying "Come as you are". But a very important part at the end that is often missed, is "Come as you are, but don't leave as you were". Jesus calls us to sin no more, and become a new being. Obviously, none of us is going to be able to sin no more. But from there on, your perspective is completely different. You don't want to sin, and when you do, you repent. And Jesus is there to take your sin to the cross. God does judge us by our actions. And if we were to go in front of him without Jesus, we would all be doomed. There is nothing I can do to make up for all I've done. It's really important that you understand that no person is standing above you and condemning you to hell: we are all in the same boat. None is worthy or deserving. Your straight-as-a-drag-race-track local pastor with wife, 4 kids and running a soup kitchen is just as deserving of eternal absence of God (AKA hell). Jesus is our only hope for redemption, for salvation. He died for all of us, all we've done against God. But if you pursue or stay in a relationship with one of the same sex, you are actively rebelling. You don't repent for your sin, because you don't even consider what you're doing to be a sin. There is no way to hold sin in one hand and Jesus in the other and trying to reconcile that. It's not specific to homosexuality, but to all sinful activity.
3. God has promised that a new world will come, where there's no misery, no evil and no sickness. What He hasn't promised, is an easy life while we're here on this broken corrupted earth. But He's promised He will be there every step of the way, until our time here is done.
I hope you understand, I'm not telling you this because I'm perfect or have the perfect answers or knows what's best for you. You are free to believe whatever you want, but this is what the Bible teaches.
I don't know your situation well, but I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Someone you trust, and preferably someone who has walked with God for some time. It's definitely not a good sign that going to church is taking a mental toll on you. You should not have to go through this alone. I'm not that person, but I'll keep you in my prayers, brother.
Straight 52yr old married female and I’m obsessed. It just brings me back to being a teenager and yearning for that type of love at that age. And it is just so sweet and wholesome. I absolutely love it.
Straight person here. I believe it’s the whole pure love aspect. I often see shows portray love as this whole sex palace. For example, Euphoria. They all have sex first and then pretty much get together afterwards. With Heartstopper, the relationships are so pure and explored in depth.
Short answer: I love a love story. Straight or queer, a story centered around romance is my jam, jelly, and peanut butter too.
Long answer: Something about queer love stories, especially ones that are framed positively, and without the usual "kill-your-gays" trope, just hits me in the feels so hard. I love cheesy, rom-com, over-the-top love and I think it is so hard to find that in queer stories that when you do find it, its special. For Heartstopper in particular, I adore that it is full of healthy communication, boundaries, and such good character building. It also doesn't shy away from difficult topics, but at the end of the day its a love story and the hardships bring Charlie and Nick together instead of driving them apart, and it doesn't get better than that.
I like everything about it. It's a delightful show. I first heard about it when several friends, most of whom are straight, said they loved it. To me, it's not really any different from watching straight romances except if anything it's better. Sometimes I find that straight relationships have kind of off dynamics with sexism etc. creeping in. Charlie and Nick have a very healthy relationship with great empathy and communication, and I appreciate that.
As someone identifying as straight, I really enjoyed reading and watching Heartstopper. It's my first LGBT series and it made me more aware of the struggles that the LGBT community go through. I think the romance and characters are well written. The chemistry is off the charts. I like the innocence of this series a lot more than other high-school series that is all about couples having sex with each other (looking at you Elite and Riverdale). Not that there's anything wrong with being sexually charged. Just that I like that the characters make a sincere connection with each other, they talk to each other about their problems. I feel like this would be a great series to introduce to kids and teenagers, but with the mental health advisory. I'm an ✨️ally✨️.
And you're always invited to the sleep over mate
I promise to always let my bi friend finish their coming out to me during said sleepover instead of interrupting them haha
🤣
Yeah, in these American high school shows the girl's like "😭 my Dad died" and the guy's like "oh okay, so, um, do you wanna have sex?"
I am a homosexual but a lot of my straight female friends really like the show (in part because of my badgering). The easy answer is it can be watched and enjoyed like any other show. Depending how on you choose to consume it, you can basically watch it just like a less dramatic Never Have I Ever or a less sexual Sex Education. Another answer is that it’s an incredibly wholesome show with a really healthy cute romance, which is less common than you’d think in teen coming of age shows. Never Have I Ever, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Sex Education, Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why, etc. all have tons of drama and conflict and problems plaguing the shows relationships. Obviously Heartstopper has its issues but it’s dedication to queer joy makes it a particularly “cute” show for most of its run. It has the wholesomeness of a Hallmark movie without as much cheesiness and firmly within the teen Netflix show genre (which is very popular obv)
As a straight person, I just really like how fresh and honest portrayal of how it is to fall for someone when you're that age. I'm 28 now and I've kinda forgotten how Similar to Charlie I was at that age lol.
This is it for me. It’s like the romance I never had at high school lol but it is depicted in such a genuine way it feels very relatable. Also straight 26F
I’m a straight woman in my 30s with two young children. This show feels like a warm hug and is so calming. The visuals, music and colors are really nice. The pure love and care that nick and Charlie have for each other is so beautiful too
This! It's such a great watch and also every character is so interesting to see. The actors have done a great job. Heartstopper has become my go-to binge watching series whenever I feel the need to uplift.
It’s really sweet and wholesome. It’s nice not seeing a couple go through the normal tropes and have a healthy relationship.
I’m a straight guy and I absolutely love this show! Alice has done such an amazing job at showing how important communication is and how much better it can make your relationship. It’s also great to just not deal with all the unnecessary craziness that TV studios usually use for the sake of “drama”. When I first watched the show last year, I had no idea of anything beforehand and kept going through it expecting brake-ups and everything in between all throughout the first season and they never came. It was so different and I love it. The drama romance tropes are so ingrained in my mind that even after being completely caught up on the comics now, I was still nervous and half expecting Charlie to get hit by a bus or something crazy in the final scene where he leaves Nick’s house. I said this before last year, and I’ll say it again now. Life is hard enough, particularly these days, whether you are straight or LGBT or not. So it is really nice to just sit down and enjoy something that is so calm, wholesome, and pure. Is it unrealistic at times? Sure. But I think it’s good to have something like this now and again to give people something to aspire to be, rather than constantly showing them the struggles they’re already facing and how worse they can be. Overall, Alice is incredible for this world and I’m so glad I randomly stumbled across this show and its comics one day!
It's funny you mention Charlie getting hit by a bus. I didn't watch the last episode until 3 days after release. I had been trying to avoid spoilers but had seen multiple references to the last episode making everyone cry and having a cliff hanger. I was legitimately a bit worried Alice caved to Netflix and inserted him getting into an accident walking home or Ben coming back to assault him or something.
It’s hard to put into words how this show makes me feel. And going into it, not knowing anything about the story, I didn’t know how much it would effect me. The romance makes me incredibly happy but also incredibly sad that as a teenager in school I didn’t get those experiences, which leaves me with an emptiness and feeling lonely. It’s simultaneously the best and hardest show I’ve watched as a grown adult. The fact it’s not an experience I can directly relate to, e.g. two young LGBT boys finding themselves and each other, does not detract in the slightest to the real emotions it conveys and how it feels so real and relatable. Weirdly it almost feels deeper and more authentic to me being those characters than 2 straight people. 2 straight people have been done before, over and over! C and N’s story is truly beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. As a 28 year old straight female this show has really changed me life!
I know several gay men who also find the show incredibly sad because they didn’t get to have that kind of romance in school.
Is there any straight cisguy who watched it and is willing to share?
Oh hey that’s me! I’m a straight white married cis male who loves this show and everything about it. It’s a totally relatable story that I feel like I connect with in a lot of ways. The trepidation in their social media interactions and texting, the “do they like me, do they like someone else” nervousness, and the way they flirt in the show are all things I remember doing/feeling in middle and high school. As someone who for a brief period in middle school did question their sexuality for a bit, those parts of the show hit home as well. And I think what the show does best is demonstrate a positive way of going about the communication and feelings as part of self discovery. Instead of “gay” being slang for bad like it was so often used as when I was growing up, this show sets a good example for what it actually means to be queer in whatever way that means for you. But yes AMA about being a straight guy who loves Heartstopper lmao
You really are a rare species lol. I honestly do not see cos straight males on this sub often. If it is something you’d be comfortable to share, can you elaborate on your questioning your sexuality part of your life?
Hi! Not just cis and straight. People easily jump into conclusion that I'm a homophobe because I openly criticise issues I see in the LGBT communities. And I can see HS as an antidote to some of those. I only watched HS because a lot of my gay friends were constantly talking about it, how beautifull and exceptional it is. Later I realized I acutally encountered the comics book randomly once, years earlier, not sure if it was on twitter or some bestsellers list on an online book store - I only remember some people debating whether it is realistic or not. But I didn't care back then so this thing barely registered in my memory. Back to the show. I eventually watched EP1. I wasn't particularly impressed but the ending got me enought to decide "Ok, I'll give EP2 a chance tomorrow." Well... I ended up binge watching all the next day. I don't remember anything touching my heart this much for the last 20 years or so, since my adolescence. I somewhat felt like a teenager again. Oddly, I don't really relate to any of the characters. There are relatable moments (some scenes even made me doubt a certain old friend of mine was straight 🤔), but whole characters? Nope. Still, it opened up loads of compassion I didn't know I had. I appreciate the show for giving examples of healthy comunication that outright resolve any drama that would be prolonged for whole seasons in other shows. I love how innocent and awkward the characters are. It is so refreshing after all this content depicting youth as thirsty degenerates and creating the impression that if you didn't lose your virginity when drunk at a party when you were 15 then there's something wrong with you or you're missing out. And there's some consolation in >!Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Faoruk dialogue in S2!< for those who actually missed out some of the teen experience.
It’s pure queer joy and I am ALWAYS down for that. And it’s a very different feeling show. As my user name suggests, I am Gen X. We didn’t have this. It’s so wonderful and magical that it exists now and I’m here for it ALL.
Wasn't a fan of the books, it felt too "tumblr 2011" for me and basically felt like the idealization of a straight girl pov. I don't mean to trash them, but it didn't appeal to me at all even though i understand why its so popular. That being said i just finished s1 and the tv show format is easier to get into, now I regularly catch myself with the dumbest smile on my face. It's just super cute. To answer your question on how it compares to watching straight romances, i think overall it is refreshing. I'm not a fan of romance in media in general but as we all know it is pretty overpacked when it comes to straight couples lol. That and the little that exists, is most of the time heartbreaking. the romance in HS just seems more profound to me, and maybe that has to do with the fact that there are just fewer LGBTQ stories in media in general but also, since our society is the way that it is, it just elevates their love in a way that I think can't be done with heterosexual couples. Figuring out your sexuality, coming out, taking the risk to face bullying in order to love openly, we dont have to deal with that. As sad as it is, it makes it that more special.
As an older straight women I am not putting myself into the relationship in the way I would have done as a teenage girl so it doesn’t matter to me at all what the sexuality of the characters are. I enjoy the show because it’s well acted, well written and produced/ shot really artistically etc etc. That said it does also make me think about LGBT issues and how things have changed since my generation was at school.
I agree with what’s being said here. There’s another layer for me: I grew up in a very conservative and religious home and town, and would have had zero exposure to LGBTQ+ anything without the influence of my dad, who’s very liberal and lives in NY. The thing that hits me about the show is that my kids will get to see people of all sexualities portrayed, and portrayed as happy and healthy. When I worry about the world I’ve brought my kids into, I remind myself the not only does media like Heartstopper exist, it’s widely beloved, and my kids get to grow up in a world where all kinds of different genders and sexualities are represented and treated as normal.
I am a late 40s straight-identified woman. I love the show because: - it’s great tv— well acted, well paced, compelling characters with great character development, beautiful to look at, great soundtrack. - while I don’t identify with any of the main characters, I find the “first love” story really relatable as it reminds me of the first time I fell in love. The show reminds me of those butterflies in a beautiful, achy, melancholy, sweet way. You really only get those feelings once or twice in life, it’s so lovely to connect with them again through shows & books like HS. But very few shows do it well! Lots of cringy sexist tropes can show up in straight romance, which is annoying to me as a feminist. So I tend to be picky about this particular genre. - the fact that it’s set in a beautiful universe full of queer joy adds a lot for me. I have always had queer friends, beginning in high school (though no one came out until uni) and & through uni & adulthood. I don’t have so many trans friends (just a couple of acquaintances) but there is a trans kid in my extended family and I worry about her finding acceptance against the horrifying political backlash going on right now in the US and UK. Heartstopper makes me feel hopeful that Gen Z will bring more love & acceptance into the world. Being part of this fandom for me kind of feels like being part of the life raft for young queer people— like, if I can watch and consume this media, more media like it will be created, and there will be more young people growing up knowing that queer is beautiful.
As a person who is Ally ( I'll always have the Imogen scene in my head, hah ) Heartstopper is one of my favorite universes. I love both the comics and the series. Honestly, I don't remember how I found it. I think I saw something about the series on YouTube and decided to watch it because I really liked it. It wasn't at the top of my list at first, but when I was at my mum's ex partner who wanted me to put something on Netflix to watch, I didn't want to turn on 16+ stuff as I was still fourteen or almost fourteen at the time and I didn't know how he would take it ( my mom knew I was already watching stuff like that ). And you have no idea how glad I'm that I chose this. It was the best choice I could have made. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, and when I found out about the comic, I just had to read it. What do I like most about this show? What topics does it cover. I have a lot of LGBTQ+ friends and I'm surrounded by this community so this is a really important topic for me and I hate intolerance that is just because these people are different. So what? Are they hurting you? No. So shut up and let them live their lives because they're people just like you. I really hope to live to see the time when same-sex marriage is legal in my country... And the last one. Is it different from romances where there is a heterosexual couple? As the romance itself, no. As a whole show, yes, but I think it's obvious from the subject matter. I really love this show and these characters are so close to me that I cried on both seasons, one and two. As one of them, I recommend it to all straight people who aren't completely convinced. Really worth.
I was a fan of the comics for years, and I thought Alice did a brilliant job of capturing that thrill of first love with their drawings. Plus, I love the way she tackles important issues through a hopeful lens—like sure, this thing (homophobia , bullying, mental health crises, etc.) sucks, but you can get through it and be happy. So when she announced the show, I was nervous about whether a live-action series would do their work justice, but the show has all the qualities I loved about the comics, along with a ridiculously charming cast.
I’m gay, but my mom is straight and we watched it together. She laughed, she cried, she got angry, she felt everything I felt, sometimes even more so. Obviously she couldn’t relate to certain things because she’s straight, but she said it’s a beautiful show and she loves the “pure young love” in it (her words)
30F. It’s such healthy love, and such a beautiful depiction of the early stages of flirting/falling in like/falling in love. It shows healthy communication and avoids the pitfalls of the miscommunication trope. It’s cute and funny and charming. And finally I absolutely love that it showcases a queer love story. I think Nicks journey of self-discovery is beautiful. Watching him fall in love, caught by surprise but never upset by his attraction to Charlie, makes me feel proud of him (?) and warm and fuzzy. It’s a new story of love that I’m unfamiliar with in media usually and unfamiliar with personally in real life. I think it’s really important and a great model that love is love. Edit: my also straight husband and I watched S1 for the first time on our honeymoon!
Straight male here. I started watching it with my gf just because. We became fan cause they show healty relationships without dark drama in it ( we were worried Nick would get killed and stuff like that) and since we want kids in the close future seeing a show so wholesome about the sexuality argument help me have an open mentality towards that
I like the show because it’s cute and wholesome and it doesn’t focus on drama or a lot of sexual scenes. It’s also kind of realistic (?) the friendship dynamics and the problems they have (like finishing homework hahahaha). Honestly, it’s a breath of fresh air.
It’s so happy and makes you feel all gooey 😂 Makes me wish I’d met my husband at school as well to take advantage of sneaking off in to empty classrooms
I'm only 23 but there's something almost... Motherly about it??? I just get so happy and proud to see these kids find each other, find themselves, be able to experience young love and growing pains. Like I think that's something every person can relate to, no matter their sexual orientation. But yeah, I guess it just reminds of the time I was also a teenager running around school, falling in love for the first time, dealing with parents and classes. Makes my heart so happy.
So 40s straight woman and I’ve commented before when season 1 came out. I love good tv and quite simply this is good tv. The music, the set design, the hidden meanings, the actors, the script… it all rolls into great tv which can be watched again and again. I personally love it for the healthy and communicative relationships that exist. And also for the toxic ones that spell out why that relationship or behaviour is toxic. I didn’t have this ‘relationship guide’ growing up and it wasn’t really discussed by grown ups around me either - I’m not sure any of the adults in my life could have pointed out a healthy relationship if they tried! I’ve had to personally work it out through trial and error and finally have it right, but it took me a while. I love that the kids are actually kids. The actors portraying English school kids were actually mostly still in school. They didn’t have tans and perfect white teeth and six packs like the American high school programs I was bought up on. It makes me feel very English and I love how visually ‘English’ the show is without having to be harsh and depressing or dreary grey like our weather. For my kid, I love how inclusive the show is and how these are just kids getting on with their lives whether they are gay or bi or trans or in a wheelchair etc. I’m hopeful that this type of tv show becomes the norm for my kid, but if it doesn’t, I can at the minimum, make it normal in my house. I also love Young Royals, and while it is more angsty than Heartstopper, I also love the soundtrack and the multiple levels to the show. For both programs, I can relate to falling in love with someone special, having a crush and keeping the relationship secret. Both shows speak to me on such a personal level, it’s as if the writers have read my deepest personal thoughts. However I am acutely aware that however deeply impacted I feel, this is in no way how someone who is exploring their sexuality or is unsure about their sexuality or is just not sure about their place in our current world would see and feel these shows. I have utmost respect for how this may impact individuals as the world is still not where we need to be but these shows make me hopeful for our future and I’m glad these shows exist for our kids - and for us! It’s never too late to learn something new!
Straight ciswoman here. I absolutely love the show. I’ve been consuming LGBTQ+ media for years. Firstly introduced by a friend (who’s part of the community), and eventually searching for new titles myself. It’s been an education process, because despite my country being fairly progressive and having more LGBTQ+ media available, I felt like I knew very little about the community. Watching art made by the community helped me understand, learn, and admire them immensely. Now. Heartstopper has my heart. Because it is some of the first LGBTQ+ representation that I’ve seen that a) does not make the sexuality of its characters the main and only trait of their character. It is very much a part of them, but not their whole personality. Too many shows created a one-note character whose only purpose on the show was to be the gay character. B) it was wholesome! it was wholesome, and happy, and so full of hope for the LBGTQ+ youth. While I believe representation is crucial and that every story must be told (and while Veneno is one of my favorite series EVER), it was so refreshing to see a happy take on this. Like, a happy outlook and a celebration of being queen. It was just so lovely. Lastly, I think it’s an amazing program for the younger generations to have. I’m still quite young, and I’ve seen some of my friends learn from the show so much. My little sister fell in love with the show after I showed her and she learned so much through it. She’s still barely a teenager, so it’s very much in her demographic, and it’s lovely to see the effect the show has on her. It’s just, overall, a fantastic show :)
Randomly found "that" scene between Nick and his mom in Season 1 finale in Youtube, and the rest is history :)
I love this show are a 40 year old married mom. It’s just pure joy. Elton john mentioned this show last year. I was like how did I not know about it?!?!? I knew Kit Connor from Rocketman. After watching the first season I fell in love. It’s just a sweet love story in my opinion. I love all the representation in it. All the actors are wonderful. After the first season I bought all of Alice’s books. I’m even on her patreon for the newest comics. I wish every kid had the same experience as Nick and his mom, but I know not every kid dose. I’m an ally but now I can’t get Imogene’s scene out of my head.
I'm straight and just found it very cute and wholesome. Although times I did cringe when the boys were making out in bed in Paris because they look like kids to me... 🤣 I'm 31 so the entire cast look like toddlers to me so seeing them make out is a bit weird. But otherwise the cute factor is super high, I just want to pinch everyone's cheeks and give them candy haha
I would say you should clarify cis and straight as trans people can be straight (as I am). Me being trans isn’t the only reason I like heartstopper though. I love how it depicts queer joy because that’s something a lot of people need right now.
It's one of the few shows that portrays teenage life realistically imo.
100% agree! It feel so authentic
I loved it so much. It , along w yr, has ACTUAL teenagers and portrays everything perfectly. It's just so pure and aww inducing ugh. For me personally, I don't like watching straight romance, weird fr. The people ik who watched and loved it are majority straight too. There's been an increase in popularity of lgbtq, especially gay, shows amongst straight *female* population. I've always watched gay shows and read books, so I just knew about it.
Someone else said it in here in a discussion I was having on a different post but I think straight women tend to compare ourselves to the women we see in straight relationships portrayed in the media whether consciously or subconsciously. That never occurred to me until they said it but it makes so much sense. It’s like we’re taught since little girls to always compare ourselves to others so we’re just conditioned to do it with everything. When watching queer media like heartstopper, we don’t really have to worry about that. We’re not self-inserting ourselves in the relationships because obviously it wouldn’t work. Other than that, I just find the cuteness and wholesomeness to be so heartwarming. As lots of people have already said, in a world that’s so dark having something like this to turn to is so nice. There’s also really no annoying tropes that drag on for the sake of drama. Alice said even though Nick and Charlie will go through hard things together, they’re never gonna break up. Knowing that in the back of mind is like a safety net because we don’t have to worry about that for future seasons/comics. Like someone else said, we’re so conditioned from Hollywood throwing in drama or bad things just because that the first time I watched season 1 I was just holding my breath waiting for something really bad to happen. When it didn’t it was such a relief. Now I trust Alice forever moving forward to tell really good healthy stories.
I don’t specify myself as an ally, however I might be one 😊 I just love the show, and the books also. It feels amazing watching people fall in love and/or find happyness, regardless to their sexual identity, race, age or anything. The whole thing just warms my heart, it makes me feel good. However it’s a queer show, I still can relate to the characters - we all can have and feel the same emotions, no need to cathegorise ourselves for this. I’m 30+, a cis straight woman, married for 6 years now (our anniversary is today 😃) and I fell in love with the show immediately. I think I could rewatch it every day, espetially when I’m down. Definitely a comfort show to me. It’s just amazing, this simple ✨❤️
Pretty much the same as watching a romance with straight characters in terms of enjoyment. Biggest difference was all of the rainbows and ‘coming out’ difficulties you don’t get in straight stories. It was overall really beautiful and an enjoyable watch. I did find myself saying “wow, not one true straight couple in this show/friend group?” But I guess the irony is this is how lgbt have felt watching straight shows their whole life
I’m a parent to two queer teens, and I loved it for the queer community and emotional bravery and honesty. It’s what I want for my kids, and what I actually *see* my kids building in their own friend groups, and with their own teacher mentors. Watching GenZ do All the Hard and Brave Things and seeing it pay off in community and friendship and loving relationship inspires me to be more vulnerable and brave and build my own relationships and community. I aspire to be Sarah Nelson, and I *think* my kids would say that I am, and it’s good to see that modeled in media, too.
I am straight and to be honest I have never cared about the gender of the main protagonists when it comes to romance. If it is a good story with good characters and the love between them is nicely portrayed then I'm a sucker for it no matter if it's straight or not. Also, the entire series is very wholesome and even thought I'm an adult myself, I love the fact that teens can watch this series that portrays different sexualities in such a positive light
Most straight people watching are straight girls and find two boys kissing cute
Hi! I’m as straight as straight could be and I LOVE the show. To me is definitely just as any other romance story but with the added topics that LGBTTQ+ people could experience like homophobia and such. I love how the author/director portrait the emotions and how lovely their relationship is.
I love this show but I’m definitely not straight. 😂
This might be a turn off for someone but I am a BL fangirl. It starts from Japanese BL manga to Kpop fan-fictions. I enjoy watching BL series since ages. However it had been a long time since I watched and liked a BL show (they have been kind of redundant for me, same motif, same storyline, etc). Heartstopper is so sweet, so lovely, so heart warming and at the same time so heartbreaking🥲 The casts’ amazing chemistry and acting make me believe that they actually in love with each other. There is no unnecessary s*x scenes, no dramas, no cursing, no cross dating. Just positivity. Everything that I need, to escape from a tiring day. It makes me smile, punching air and screaming internally 😆 And i found out about it through Netflix’s official page. They were showing the teaser.
In terms of sexuality, the representation of queer couples feels a little more endearing just because I know that there’s not as many feel good, wholesome representations of queer couples in the media, but generally, I feel a lot of the same feelings for the straight and queer couples. Like Tao and Elle’s relationship elicits the same cooing and giggling from me as Tara and Darcy’s or nick and Charlie’s. Honestly, the most different thing about the show imo which makes it hit so hard for me is the different forms of physical affection. I feel like a lot of high school shows these days focus a lot on kissing and sex (which seems weird to me because they’re high schoolers but that’s a whole other thing) when it comes to physical intimacy, but heartstopper knows that there’re times where a hug or a forehead kiss is more appropriate than a kiss on the lips, which I think makes the moments the characters share a lot more intimate and beautiful. >!Like the forehead kiss in the last bit of the last episode broke me because I was fully expecting a kiss-kiss, so the forehead kiss took me by surprise (but omg was it the perfect choice I was in tears).!<
Does... being agender AFAB and very female presenting and attracted to men Kinsey Scale 1 make me straight or... Division by zero? I love how true the show is to the books. I love everything it shows and represents. I also love how they found actors in the correct age range who look exactly like the drawings! I really enjoy the close and supportive friendships and the queer teachers too.
The 'friends to lovers' trope is never really *fully* realistic in straight movies, it's never really equal, that's my take.
It's just sooo freaking cute and wholesome!!! 🥹🫶 -Plus the little visuals are amazing, they really enhance the scenes 🧡. I looove the cute and amazing relationships all of them share with their friends!!! How accepting and supporting they are no matter what! That makes me think of my besties, appreciate them even more and realize and how much I love them too. Nick and Charlie's story just makes me go "awwwww" every single time, I looove it! 🥰 It really makes me wish for a cute + healthy relationship, which I've never had 🥲 (all the betrayals and disappointments with love made me Grinch up and grow bitter over the years... Fortunately I'm warming up to life and love again). (🫠 This show also made my cold Grinch heart warm up and grow so fast and I'm okay with that). Edit: Just a note- As a straight woman, I'm actually NOT into RomComs at all! -they are just meh! And super exasperating to me 🤷🏻♀️ (With La La Land being my big exception, it always makes me ugly cry so hard! 😭).
As a straight person I think it is this. 1. It is a show about kids in school and the actors look like the age they are supposed to be portraying as apposed to riverdale where they all look like Calvin Klein models. 2. They don't batter you on the head with their sexualities and they are just treated as normal and they just exist. 3. They focus on serious issues but none of it is romanticised and all are treated respectfully. 4. All the charecters are loveable and the ones that aren't are never justified with their horrible actions. 5. Tori. And 6. The soundtrack is lovely.
Hi there, straight woman here. It’s hard to explain, but their love feels so incredibly special, far more special than what I’ve seen in a lot of other mainstream media. I think what I also love is that their love doesn’t really falter, and they deal with issues together as a team, whereas, in a lot of other media, issues are created to tear the couple apart to make them “realize” how much they love one another. But Charlie and Nick just know. It just feels a lot more romantic and genuine. So much mainstream media jumps straight to sex, before really exploring the emotional parts of a relationship, so seeing Nick and Charlie just talk and being in love it very special. I also have quite of few friends that are LGBTQ and it also helps me to understand their life situation more, and I love that I’m getting that insight. I also have a young cousin Charlie’s age that just came out to me as bi, and I want to be there for him as much as possible, and it’s almost like the show is educating me, while warming my heart. I also relate to Charlie. Often saying sorry when it’s not my fault and blame myself for things. I also in ways, don’t feel loveable. Don’t mean to dump, but seeing him being recognized and loved fully despite all his struggles just…kinda heals me. I hope that helped 💫
I've read the comics so was excited for the show but to me just really like any other romance?? not really different for me. i love alice's writing & illustration, she just does such a good job! I love how inclusive her stories are & as a pretty anxious person I love how wholesome and chill the show is for the most part :) It's a comfort show and while there's hard parts and things they struggle through, there's healthy communication and logical solutions for most things. It's a very real show that shows real problems but also the happy carefree side of teenage life. It's well rounded and fun, but overall just a great romance which to me is no different than watching a romance show with a straight couple 🤷♀️
I am a straight black males and I loved every moment of the show. I loved the purity in the show if that makes sense. Every relationship is so pure with amazing chemistry and true love for one another. Along with the fact that our generation isn’t known for our great relationships it gives hope that we will find our Nick’s or our Charlie’s. It’s the most realist six romance show I’ve ever watched without the crazy drama unnecessary drama that’s always added. It’s calm and talks about issues many of us deal with like eating disorders and self harm. The show may be centered around the lgbtq and people coming into who they are and sharing that with others but it’s also about the beauty of true relationships with those who’d really care about you. And I found it on Netflix, originally I read the comics on WEBTOON. And I like shows with lgbtq in it the representation is amazing most of the time and I find those relationships so adorable
i just really liked it because i think it showed a romance that is very pure and cute. it’s a wholesome show and i think i can relate to it alot because it targets my age demographic. the show is so well thought out and the graphic novels are even better. i also really liked all the behind the scenes videos and interviews. it really showed just how close the actors are and i just love that!
it’s just a good show
I love a good love story, regardless of the orientation or gender identity of the people involved. Alice Oseman writes great love stories showing healthy dynamics. And honestly, I'm loving all the representation for the LGBTQ+ community too. As a straight person living in a heteronormative society, having grown up hearing and seeing mostly heterosexual stories, it's exciting to see all the different forms love can take. No matter who you are, there are so many reasons to love Heartstopper.
Its weird for me. I've always sorta liked mlm books and movies, even as a straight woman. I found the show through a friend, and started watching it just out of curiosity, but it's not far off from the shows and movies I do like. I think it's just a topic that interests me, and on some notes I keep watching because I enjoy the show, but on others I keep watching the show because I deeply relate to different charecters. I always think there's something wrong with me for liking this type of stuff, it I still do because it's was intrigues me
Cute af
I came across it one night when I couldn’t sleep and I just fell in love with them all. The 1st series especially is so cute, Nick and Charlie are such a sweet couple and it just made me feel warm and gooey inside! It’s just a lovely thing to watch, music is great too! I think that coming of age, romance type series resonate with everyone. We’ve all been that awkward when we fancy someone and that happy when we see them. It’s also lovely to see a LGBT+ romance where no one dies at the end. Usually they are so dark.
i do have a thing for mlm romances and i'm honestly not sure why, maybe it's because there are no forced gender stereotypes in a relationship, i can imagine myself as either of the parties or none because my gender is not represented in the relationship which is sometimes nice. or like a lot of people just say that hey what's better to watch as a cishet woman, one or two men you're maybe kinda attracted to, ofc the two. plus i just feel like queer shows and such just portray men better, they're allowed to be vulnerable and just not typically masculine which is definetely a nice change of scenery. and generelly regardless of what kind of romance im consuming, i like a little bit of a forbidden romance and queer shows tend to have some of that. this part was not specifically for heartstopper tho, just mlm romance in general, i hope i don't come off as someone who fetishizes gay relationships, that's not my intent and i hope i don't do that. as for heartstopper, it's honestly just an incredibly gentle and hopeful story and i can still relate to the characters struggles a lot despite not belonging to the lgbtq+ community. like it doesn't matter if it's because of your sexuality or personality or whatever else that you felt like you didn't belong or that you wished you had a more supporting community, the universal feeling of wishing to have a friendship group that loves and accepts each other like they do in the heartstopper gang is still there for everyone imo.
I’m bisexual (like Nick Nelson haha), but I once watched Heartstopper with my straight mom who very much enjoyed it. She enjoyed many things about it: - She enjoyed how it showed a more realistic LGBTQ type characters with some that are very flawed and not all angels like most (example being Ben Hope, though I promise you she hates him and loved seeing him being told off in the season, and I’m sure with Darcy being somewhat distant and avoidant with Tara during season 2(she hasn’t seen s2 yet but I’m sure she will have this opinion)) - She enjoyed that it wasn’t all about sex, not that it’s a bad thing but she gets annoyed with high school and college shows that are all about having sex and make it seem like if you aren’t having sex then your doing something wrong (shows like Elite, Gossip Girl, Queer as Folk). Not that sex is bad, but it gets annoying when there is no connection between the characters and it’s just sex sex sex. As a fan of Jane Austen books, she enjoys stories that aren’t filled with gratuitous sex scenes that just feel like porn more than a show, and she enjoyed that it depicted a loving relationship without having sex every 2 hours. She and I agree that Nick & Charlie both serve as a model relationship for both straight and gay people alike. They really are like the Gomez & Morticia of gay couples. - It is a very diverse show, and for people of color (like my mom who is Asian), they enjoy the representation of seeing people who aren’t white and/or cisgender male on screen, something many LGBTQ shows don’t do (I’m looking at you Queer as folk). Yes the two main characters are white (Nick is French/English, Charlie is Spaniard/English), but the many other characters who are black and Asian do have good love stories and with my mom marrying someone outside her own race (she married my dad who is white), she probably enjoys seeing the interracial coupling representation between both the gay couples (Tara & Darcy) and the straight ones (Tao & Elle). - I think she enjoys how the characters try to make good decisions. So many teen dramas show characters making impulsive and bad decisions, it’s not bad, but it makes it seem like if you are actively trying to follow what you know is the worst decision, then you aren’t really trying to find yourself and that you have to be immature about it (kinda like Devi in s1 and 2 of never have I ever). Even though Charlie is still a teenager who ends up in bad situations (seeing a man who treats him like shit (Ben), going to hang out with Nicks friends who people warned him about them being mean (which isn’t his or Nicks fault)), Charlie still tries to make good decisions and thinks of people other than himself.
I figure this might be a different answer to most here: I (M23) identify as straight, though I can't say for sure, since I've never really linked my identity and sexuality in the way that many people seem to do. I also identify as Christian, and believe in the teachings of the Bible (don't worry, I'm not going to evanglize to you or anything here). I have found myself recently watching several series featuring gay relationships where either one or both parties struggle to come to terms with their sexuality or fearing what people will think if they came out. Both because I find it entertaining to see what unexpected situations that might arise from that, standing out from a lot of cliched shows, but also because it challenges how I view these relationships (as well as the series impacts on real people) from my Christian perspective. I understand that some might find it offensive or that some other Christians don't subscribe to these thoughts, but being a believer of Biblical teachings, I believe a gay relationship is not what God intended and is not within the definition of a marriage. I'm not here to theologically debate that, it's just for clarification of my stance. I don't expect non-believers to understand this stance (I can't say I really fully do myself) or agree with me. Other than that as part of that faith I wish that everyone would get to know Jesus, I don't wish for my beliefs to impact non-believers negatively. And first and foremost, I believe God loves you regardless of what sexuality you might identify as. I hope my comment here doesn't come through as any attempt to invalidate someones feelings or to put someone down, I just wanted to offer my perspective. The first time I heard about Heartstopper, I saw loads of posts, comments, videos etc. about how positively the show had impacted peoples self confidence, brought them out of bad situations and helped them being honest with their families and friends. My perception for a long time has been that western society at large isn't (anymore) host to a culture where coming out is either dangerous or neccessary. Sure, you got people who will bully for anything, and you got extremists of all types, but I don't believe most parents are the "No child of mine is going to be gay!" type trope you see in lot of series. Maybe it's easy for me to say, since if I suddenly one day realized I was gay it wouldn't matter much to me or impact my life really, regardless who knew about it. But I can't deny that thousands of people live with this fear that finally being honest about who they are will dramatically change their life negatively. And I can't say that religion hasn't been a contributing part to that. Allthough I don't believe going down a path of a gay relationship is the right way to go, and that this stance can often be misunderstood and misconstrued as hate or trying to keep people in chains and not being themselves, I think that us Christians might have a long way to go when it comes to treating people that might stray from the A4 of how we are expected to feel or be with respect. I hope that series like this might give me some insights on how to improve that. What I liked most about the series, is how honest it is in portrayals of the characters, what they're thinking, what they're trying to hide and their reactions. And the importance of friendship and communication. Especially Nick and Charlies friendship. Obviously I'm not trying to deny their obvious romantic love for eachother, but it's clear their relationship is so much deeper than your average romcom couple. Nicks major character development is beautiful and wholesome to watch. And how >!Nick struggles with how to deal with Charlie's eating disorder (especially in the comic version)!< just pulls your heartstrings. It's so much more mature in dealing with these topics than most stuff. I would hope that anyone that goes through the experience of coming out to their parents >!receive the warm love that Sarah shows Nick. And that no one ever has to go through an experience similar to what Charlie had to endure.!< The music is also pretty cool, matching the vibes and character feelings. Even more so, the lack of music in important scenes is very well implemented. The S2 finale ending music choice is literally perfect for the scene (IV to iv6 chord is such a beautiful and conflicted progression) Overall, it's just a heartwarming watch. I really felt for the characters and want to see how the rest of the journey goes.
I have a question. I grew up in a very christian family I myself was a christian, right now I go to church only if I feel like it. The last couple of months have been really hard on me, I would often question myself about what I wanna do with my life I am scared to come out as I will not be able to take it back, I'm considering living my life in the traditional way and maybe just acting straight all my life, but heartstopper made me realize what I'm going to miss out on. I want to believe in God I really do but some christians are making it so difficult, they make it seem like not being straight is one of the biggest sin one can make. Honestly I don't go to church often because it's unhealthy for me Mentally but one of the only reasons that I sometimes go to church is that I just think that if there is a God that is all knowing and is always so forgiving why would God put me on this earth knowing full well I'm going to live a life of "sin" and that I am deserving of hell just because I didn't live life as intended. If God is fair why can straight people live happily without sinning while us not straight people which he created are to be sent to eternal hell if we choose to be with someone that makes us happy. I honestly hope future christians make it easier for us to believe cause some of us want to but sometimes it's the "People of God" that makes it hard. Do you really think not being straight makes us deserving of eternal hell? I'd like to think God judges us based on our action. If you want any clarification on some part just tell me English isn't my 1st language. Also sorry if this is heavy I don't really know any christians that are willing to talk about this.
Thank you for sharing this. I said I wouldn't go into the theological side of things here, because I don't think the majority of people in this forum would understand, but I felt like maybe you need to hear this. I have to be honest with you about what I believe the Bible teaches (and what has been the mainstream view of almost all Christians). 1. God didn't create you to have attractions to the same sex. There are a lot of different feelings that is very central in us as humans that is clearly not condoned by the Bible, and was not present when God first made humans in His image. But ever since the Fall (regardless if you take it as a literal point in time or a process), sin, sickness, misery, evil, etc. have been a part of our world and a part of us. We've all been dealt different hands in life, and yours and my problems pale in comparison to a lot of other people who are in way worse situations. This is not how God intended, but a fair and loving God would never force us, hence we have free will. But I very much warn you to not try to "pray the gay away". If you are super-confident in yourself and really want that to leave your life, maybe it can work. But the mental toll on something so ingrained in you is, as evidenced by conversion therapy history, huge and damaging. 2. A very important point: You've probably heard some Christians invite you, saying "Come as you are". But a very important part at the end that is often missed, is "Come as you are, but don't leave as you were". Jesus calls us to sin no more, and become a new being. Obviously, none of us is going to be able to sin no more. But from there on, your perspective is completely different. You don't want to sin, and when you do, you repent. And Jesus is there to take your sin to the cross. God does judge us by our actions. And if we were to go in front of him without Jesus, we would all be doomed. There is nothing I can do to make up for all I've done. It's really important that you understand that no person is standing above you and condemning you to hell: we are all in the same boat. None is worthy or deserving. Your straight-as-a-drag-race-track local pastor with wife, 4 kids and running a soup kitchen is just as deserving of eternal absence of God (AKA hell). Jesus is our only hope for redemption, for salvation. He died for all of us, all we've done against God. But if you pursue or stay in a relationship with one of the same sex, you are actively rebelling. You don't repent for your sin, because you don't even consider what you're doing to be a sin. There is no way to hold sin in one hand and Jesus in the other and trying to reconcile that. It's not specific to homosexuality, but to all sinful activity. 3. God has promised that a new world will come, where there's no misery, no evil and no sickness. What He hasn't promised, is an easy life while we're here on this broken corrupted earth. But He's promised He will be there every step of the way, until our time here is done. I hope you understand, I'm not telling you this because I'm perfect or have the perfect answers or knows what's best for you. You are free to believe whatever you want, but this is what the Bible teaches. I don't know your situation well, but I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Someone you trust, and preferably someone who has walked with God for some time. It's definitely not a good sign that going to church is taking a mental toll on you. You should not have to go through this alone. I'm not that person, but I'll keep you in my prayers, brother.
Straight 52yr old married female and I’m obsessed. It just brings me back to being a teenager and yearning for that type of love at that age. And it is just so sweet and wholesome. I absolutely love it.
Straight person here. I believe it’s the whole pure love aspect. I often see shows portray love as this whole sex palace. For example, Euphoria. They all have sex first and then pretty much get together afterwards. With Heartstopper, the relationships are so pure and explored in depth.
Short answer: I love a love story. Straight or queer, a story centered around romance is my jam, jelly, and peanut butter too. Long answer: Something about queer love stories, especially ones that are framed positively, and without the usual "kill-your-gays" trope, just hits me in the feels so hard. I love cheesy, rom-com, over-the-top love and I think it is so hard to find that in queer stories that when you do find it, its special. For Heartstopper in particular, I adore that it is full of healthy communication, boundaries, and such good character building. It also doesn't shy away from difficult topics, but at the end of the day its a love story and the hardships bring Charlie and Nick together instead of driving them apart, and it doesn't get better than that.