‘Heartstopper’ is helping LGBTQ+ fans find hope and community across time and space

Stories about young queer people coming of age and finding love have touched people across age and identity, bringing healing after the AIDS crisis and harsh upbringings.

By: Annaliese Grant, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Carrie Grant, Towson University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 15, 2026

Words: 1,529

Last Updated: 5 days, 19 hours ago

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By Annaliese Grant, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Carrie Grant, Towson University

Despite the success of shows like “Heated Rivalry” and “Euphoria,” seeing queer people on screen is still rare. Only 9.3% of characters on American TV screens were identified as LGBTQ+ in the 2024-25 season. Around 41% of those characters are not scheduled to return for subsequent seasons, sounding alarms among those in the LGBTQ+ community about the drop in …

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