“In a Romantic Way, Not Just a Friend Way!”: Exploring the Developmental Implications of Positive Depictions of Bisexuality in Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper

Abstract

The role of media in identity formation is a documented topic but media is rarely used in developmental interventions by educators and practitioners in ensuring individuals are able to engage with positive depictions of their identities. This manuscript explores the potential developmental implications of positive, trope-defying depictions of bisexuality in Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper for bisexual identity development. The four published volumes were analyzed to explore their resistance to compulsory binarization, delegitimization of bisexuality as a valid identity, and the trope of the promiscuous bisexual. Tracing Nick’s journey to understand his bisexuality through Dillon et al.’s Unifying Model of Sexual Identity Development, the shift from compulsory heterosexuality to deepening his commitment to his bisexual identity, Nick’s journey provides educators and practitioners a positive depiction of bisexuality to use with individuals who may be questioning if they are bisexual or looking to explore their bisexuality at a deeper level. Combined with the resistance to harmful tropes, this positive depiction has the potential to serve as a developmental tool for practitioners and educators to use with students exploring their identity.

Keywords:

• Bisexuality
• identity development
• media
• graphic novels
• Heartstopper

Disclosure statement

The author reports no potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melissa Allen

Melissa Allen is a doctoral student in the School of Education at William & Mary where she studies higher education administration. Prior to her doctoral studies, she received her M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Administration in 2019 and her B.A. and B.M. from in 2017 from James Madison University. Centered at the intersection between media studies and college student development theory, her current research explores the use of media and the functionality of media-based parasocial relationships in identity formation processes for queer young and emerging adults with a focus on the experiences of bisexual individuals.