He and Charlie engage in a sweet romance. After much grappling with his identity, Nick realizes that he is bisexual. In it we meet Charlie, an out 15-year-old gay boy, and Nick, a 16-year-old rugby player whose kindness and empathy help forge a loving bond between the boys. Recently, another portrait of what I never had came to me in the Netflix show “Heartstopper,” a cute, fantastical, saccharine portrayal of young gay love. But 15 years after coming out as gay, I am still turning over the pieces of what might have been. Most of the time, it is just a passing thought, a daydream, or a silent acknowledgment. Some days, I actively grieve intentional hurts and feel filled with sorrow and loss. Almost every day I find myself fantasizing about what might have happened if I had been born into a family that accepted and celebrated me as gay.
