Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, best known for playing the closeted gay teenager Will Byers, recently came out as a gay man. The actor shared an adorable video on TikTok with a sweet message for his fans. He 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.'”
After hearing this announcement, I have a few things I would like to tell Noah Schnapp. So, I decided to pen a letter and I hope some day he might just stumble upon this. So, here we go…
Dear Noah,
Before I say anything, I want to tell you that I am a huge fan. From the moment I saw you on the screen as Will, I knew you were going to be my favourite character from Stranger Things. And just like Will, you showed an immense amount of courage by coming out a proud homosexual man.
NGL, it’s a big deal to be your authentic self anywhere, but especially in Hollywood where you are under constant scrutiny. So, congratulations! I’m so proud of you.
As Captain Holt once told Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place. So thank you.” I know somewhere in the world is another 18-year-old teenager who must have heard your story and felt a little less alone.
It is already 2023 and yet the world continues to be judgemental about people for embracing their sexuality. And your coming out story is a powerful message for all the homophobes—they can’t push away love.
So, Noah, I hope you know that you are in a position of privilege and you can use it to push the LGBTQA+ community forward. By simply living your best life, you are already an inspiration. Now, don’t think I am just here to put unnecessary stress on you. But the truth is you can be the change the world needs right now.
I am leaving you with the words of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, the pioneer of the modern gay rights movement— “I am proud, that I found the courage to deal the initial blow to the hydra of public contempt.”
Yours truly,
No. 1 fan
