Actor Lukas Gage is opening up about feeling pressured to come out as gay and expressing sympathy for Kit Connor who he says faced a similar witch hunt.The Smile 2 star appears on the cover of the latest issue of Attitude, and in the accompanying profile Gage recalls dealing with the public perception that he was a straight actor taking on queer roles before he came out publicly in 2023. Related Kit Connor opens up about being pressured by fans to come out I wasnt angry. I was just slightly disappointed by this reaction. When I did [come out], my friends and family knew I wanted to keep [it] sacred for myself. I felt like I didnt need to prove anything to anyone, he told the magazine. But I was also dealing with people coming for me, being like, Why is he stealing a gay role? Hes just a straight guy, how dare he, blah blah blah. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Gage, who first gained attention for his role and an infamous queer sex scene opposite out Emmy winner Murray Bartlett in the first season of HBOs The White Lotus, said hes of two minds when it comes to the issue of casting straight performers in queer roles.Its two-fold. Im in the camp where theres of course certain scenarios. Its an injustice to not cast with diversity and inclusion, to tell the most authentic story, he said. In other less specific cases, its important to remember it is acting, and we should be free to play as many different kinds of roles as possible.Gage called for grace and generosity, implying that audiences shouldnt be so quick to criticize actor who may not be out publicly for playing gay characters.I dont like it when people do a witch hunt for people for doing it. Trying to take them down, he said.Theres a gray area with sexuality, Gage continued. Nuances. To be demanding receipts I remember, it was the same time people were coming for me, they were coming for Kit [Connor].Connor, who plays bisexual teen Nick in Netflixs Heartstopper, famously resisted labeling his sexuality when asked about it in early interviews about the series, leading to accusations of queerbaiting from fans. The constant criticism lead the young actor to briefly quit Twitter (now known as X) in 2022, before returning to the platform to publicly acknowledge that, like his character, he is bisexual.Congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself, Connor wrote in an October 2022 post. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Feeling bullied into coming out at 18 years old? That area where public and private intersect is so confusing to me, Gage told Attitude, referencing Connors post.I want to have visibility, to be a role model. I want little kids to see me and think, Hes doing it I could do it too, Gage added. But its also the thing Tina Fey said, Authenticity is expensive. Things that are private and sacred to you are valuable. You dont want it all out there.While Gage admitted he hasnt met Connor, he said he felt for the Heartstopper star.With my experience in that situation, I felt like I reached a point where it just became like It was a big f**k you to everybody, Gage said. I was like, All right. Im going to be completely out there. Be in-your-face annoying about it.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.