Joe Locke, who plays Charlie in “HEARTSTOPPER,” Addresses His Sexuality for the First Time

Last Updated on 08/08/2023 by てんしょく飯

Joe Locke, who plays Charlie in the Netflix drama “HEARTSTOPPER,” has mentioned his sexuality for the first time.

Joe Locke says he has been openly gay since he was 12 years old.

Joe Locke, who plays Charlie in the Netflix drama “HEARTSTOPPER,” revealed in an interview with Teen Vogue that he is gay.

Last year, Kit Connor, who plays Nick in “HEARTSTOPPER” with Joe, was forced to come out in a half-hearted way in response to the extraordinary speculation about his sexuality.

Joe, who has had his sexuality scrutinized in the same way that Kit has, said of it, “We’re all proud of him. We are proud of the fact that he is in control of that topic. I’m so glad he was able to face what he had to do and do what he thought was right. （There is a belief (in this industry) that losing your privacy and your right to have privacy is part of the job. I hope that can be changed by the next generation of people in the public eye. I think people understand that privacy is non-negotiable,” he continued.

People make assumptions [about my sexuality] and write this and that, but I’ve never corrected them because I don’t feel the need to. I have never corrected them because I don’t feel the need to do so. （I’ve never stated my sexuality (in interviews, etc.). But I have been openly gay since I was 12 years old.

Joe says he can’t remember exactly when he first self-identified as gay, but he knew what path he wanted to take when he was probably 9 years old, long before he had any romantic feelings for anyone else.

Incidentally, Kit, who was interviewed along with Joe, said he was “a little disappointed” that he had to come out unwillingly, but added, “I was still happy. If people can take something positive from it, if it helps someone, that’s great.