Shannon Purser

Shannon Purser is a bisexual actress who came out publicly on Twitter in March 2017, sharing that she had recently come out to friends and family as bisexual and describing it as an ongoing and personal process: "I'm still figuring out a lot of things in life (mostly how to stop loving Les Mis) but I've recently come out as bi to friends and fam. It's still new and weird and not everyone gets it." The post was praised for its honesty and vulnerability. Purser had entered the cultural conversation the year before with her brief but unforgettable performance as Barb Holland in Stranger Things (2016) -- a girl-next-door whose disappearance ignited a fan movement demanding justice that became one of the most discussed pop culture moments of the year. She earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for the role. She went on to appear in Rise (2018), Life of the Party (2018), Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018), and Atypical (2018). Purser has spoken about bisexual visibility and about the importance of nuanced representation for bisexual people, who often feel erased or dismissed both inside and outside LGBTQ+ communities.