Is Joe Locke Gay? He Came Out at 12 on Instagram & Is Now an LGBTQ Ally

While Joe Locke is not gay, the actor took to social media to reveal that he was queer but quickly reconsidered his decision. The "Hearstopper" star has since set his sights on becoming the first queer Disney prince and has been championed for his work for the gay community.

Joe Locke is an English actor who quickly rose to prominence for his role as Charlie Spring in the hit Netflix series "Hearstopper." The young star has also become well-known for challenging politicians to change UK rules allowing men who have had sex with men to give blood.

While Joe Locke does not identify as gay, he has proven his allegiance to the LGBTQ community since coming out as queer. However, the actor revealed that he was not a fan of the practice of having to announce your sexuality when coming out.

Joe Locke Came Out as Queer at a Young Age

When Locke was 12, he took to Instagram to announce that he identified as queer after sharing the news with his mother. However, the exhilaration of stepping out of the closet subsided quickly, as Locke said:

"I had just told my mom, and I was on top of the world. I quickly realized I was ready to tell my mom, but I was not ready to tell the world."

Since coming out as queer, Locke has openly shared his thoughts about the queer community.

After sharing the news on Instagram, Locke retracted his words and said his account had been hacked. He spent the following three years in the closet.

However, since re-coming out, Locke revealed his aspirations of becoming the first Disney Prince or Marvel superhero. "I'm dreaming big here. We're in a time when this isn't something to dream of for much longer; it should be a reality quite soon," Locke said.

Joe Locke on the Process of Coming Out

Since coming out as queer, Locke has openly shared his thoughts about the queer community and said, "I think a lot of queer people growing up feel like they don't deserve love because they don't have access to the same dating pool or support as straight people do."

The actor added that while he didn't feel coming out has changed him—other than leaving him with a lot more pride about who he is—Locke still believes that coming out is a little unnecessary in this day and age.

Since Locke has solicited change for gay men to be able to donate blood with the current regulations, social media users have sung the actor's praises.

However, the "Hearstopper" — co-starring Sebastian Croft, William Gao, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, and Yasmin Finney — star still understands the significance of coming out. "It's a big thing, coming out. It's a big thing, sort of telling people who you are," Locke said.

Joe Locke Received Praise from Social Media Users for Soliciting Change for the Gay Community

In 2022, the Isle of Man had its annual Pride of Isle LGBTQ celebration, where Locke delivered a hard-hitting message that while the island had made great strides toward the direction of change, there was still work to be done. Locke said:

"The Isle of Man to this day does not allow gay men to donate blood, an archaic rule that was placed into force at the height of the AIDS pandemic."

Since Joe Locke has solicited change for gay men to be able to donate blood without the current regulations, social media users have sung the actor's praises, with one user tweeting, "This boy is really special, few artists have, at such young age, the will to change the world!!! #joelockeinspiresme.

"He is really using his voice to produce real change, I'm so proud of him," someone else shared, and a third person wrote in part, "Joe is trending on Twitter, very positive, he's just made a huge step for gays on the Isle of Man. [...] He's moved the needle on gay rights. And he's 18."