Noah Schnapp criticized for unserious coming out post
Noah Schnapp, a young actor best known for his role as Will Byers in the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things” has come out as gay via a Tik Tok posted on his account
Noah Schnapp revealed his sexuality through a tiktok posted on Jan. 5, he was met with heavy criticism in the comments of his post.
February 6, 2023
In a video posted to young actor Noach Schnapp’s Tik Tok, Schnapp wrote, “When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know,’” while using an audio clip of someone saying, “You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, will never be that serious.”
The actor, who plays a closeted gay character known as Will Byers from the Netflix show “Stranger Things,” wrote in the caption, “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought.”
The 18-year old star has been in the public eye since 2015, when he first starred in the award winning movie “Bridge of Spies” directed by Steven Spielberg. At this time, Noah was only 11 years old and already on his way to stardom, though his career skyrocketed when he landed the role of Will Byers in “Stranger Things”.
With Schnapp being such a popular celebrity, his coming out affects more than just him. With 32.2 million followers on his Tik Tok, and more fans on plenty of other platforms, the actor faces many risks with openly expressing his sexuality to the public.
Although the LGBTQ+ community is more accepted now than in previous years, the actor still experienced harsh criticism, remarks, and even threats. Arguments can be made that the actor’s way of coming out was childish or unprofessional, due to the unseriousness of the announcement.
“There are no ‘guidelines’ for coming out. Coming out can happen in any way the person wants to, and I don’t think it’s anyone’s place to judge where and when a person comes out,” says Henry Cichon, a senior at MCHS.
In Schnapp’s TikTok post, he referenced how his family and friends had responded with “we know.” after his coming out. This response is common among young people when coming out to their peers and can hurt the person looking for support, but the actor made the most out of it by creating a funny joke to announce his sexuality online.
Although Schnapp’s coming out story was not traditional, it highlighted the support that he had received from those closest to him and brought attention to the importance of a positive and accepting atmosphere when an individual comes out.
Aside from the backlash, he received more support than anything. With such a young, popular, actor coming out as gay, many of his young LGBTQ+ fans have gained a new icon to look up to. Schnapp can help others feel more comfortable in their own sexuality and help diversify the acting profession.
