‘Stranger Things’ Season 2: Is Will Byers Gay? Noah Schnapp Talks Character’s Sexuality In Instagram Post

“Stranger Things” star Noah Schnapp recently opened up about the speculation that his character, Will Byers, is gay.

On Sunday, Oct. 16, the 12-year-old actor took to Instagram to address the persistent rumors about Will’s sexual orientation. Schnapp posted a screenshot of a tweet commenting on his character’s sexuality and discussed his opinion about some fans’ growing obsession with figuring out whether or not Will is part of the LGBTQ community. “I’ve been reading stuff for a while. I think everyone here is missing the point,” he wrote. “An author called Gary Schmidt came to speak at our school this week and he said that good stories aren’t supposed to leave you with answers because then you never question yourself and you forget about it. A good book, or a good show leaves a lot of unanswered questions but makes you think. Which is what you are all doing.”

Back in July, the “Stranger Things” character’s sexuality was a popular topic on message boards and websites such as Reddit. The Advocate writer Daniel Reynolds even discussed the topic in a lengthy essay, where he talks about how the Netflix show could be a meditation on homophobia in American culture.

“Characters who are outsiders — Will as well as Barb (Shannon Purser), the ‘unsung and forgotten hero’ of ‘Stranger Things,’ as Vulture dubbed her — are dragged [to Upside Down] and left to die. It’s a dark, cold, and lifeless version of the real world, and a potent metaphor for the closet,” he wrote.

According to Schnapp, he hopes that his and the other characters’ sexualities are never revealed on the show because it would draw attention away from the main story. He also told fans not to judge the characters based on their appearance and stereotype them.

“For me, Will being gay or not is besides the point,” he continued. “’Stranger Things’ is a show about a bunch of kids who are outsiders and find each other because they have been bullied in some way or are different. Does being sensitive, or a loner, or a teenager who likes photography, or a girl with red hair and big glasses, make you gay? I’m only 12 but I do know we all relate to being different. And that’s why I think the Duffers wrote the show the way they did. So you can ask all these questions. I hope the real answer never comes out!”

Meanwhile, fans will see more of Will in the upcoming season of “Stranger Things” as Schnapp has been promoted to series regular. Joining him is Joe Kerry, who plays Steve Harrington, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Stranger Things” Season 2 is expected to premiere on Netflix in summer 2017.