Harry Styles was among one of the many musicians that performed at the Hollywood Bowl’s We Can Survive benefit concert on October 21. What started out as another fun performance for the singer, unfortunately ended in a sexual assault, one that happened in a public space in front of thousands of people.
In a video posted to Twitter, a fan could be seen grabbing Harry’s crotch as he goes down on his knees during the end of his performance of “Kiwi.” As a rock and roll track, Harry always lets loose during the performance of this song and uses it as a time to get closer to fans. However, one fan crossed the line by touching the singer without his consent.
Harry was touched inappropriately during kiwi, absolutely disgusting. #WeCanSurvive pic.twitter.com/kdo6nv1i2m
— JustLikeAna (@kiwisbaby28) October 22, 2017
When the video spread online, media outlets began coverage on this story, but not as we would’ve hoped. TMZ, for example, shared a video on Twitter of its staff debating whether Harry was “asking to get his crotch touched.” While several staff members labeled the event as sexual assault, one female employee said, “Some people like to get their wieners touched and others don’t.”
Is Harry Styles just asking to get his crotch touched? #TMZ pic.twitter.com/SDtvTs4SEb
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 24, 2017
Fans of Harry on Twitter soon started the hashtag #RespectHarry in order to show support for the singer, as well as to spread awareness about sexual assault towards men and celebrities.
It’s sad that we still have to do these trends cause people still can’t respect Harry. Call this what it is. Sexual assault #RespectHarry
— nocontrolprojec (@NoControlProjec) October 22, 2017
When he kneels in the front you should understand that he’s doing it to get close to you. NOT TO BE TOUCHED INAPPROPRIATELY #RespectHarry
— H.(@bringmetoniall_) October 22, 2017
Public Service Announcement: Celebrities are human beings. Harry Styles is a human being. He is not a sexual object #RespectHarry
— Luke Waltham (@lukewaltham) October 22, 2017
The incident comes just shortly after the Harvey Weinstein scandal surfaced, which involved over 50 women coming forward to accuse the producer of sexual misconduct. Since the scandal, hundreds of other women in the entertainment industry have come forward to share their stories of sexual harassment in the workplace.
While most victims of sexual assault are women, it’s important not to forget that this issue affects men too.
Unfortunately, because the topic of sexual assault towards men is taboo, people aren’t taking the incident that happened to Harry seriously enough. By looking at any comment section of the event, disgusting remarks can be found such as “What a f*cking crybaby,” “Many guys would like to get groped,” or “This guy is freaking out about nothing.” Harry actually hasn’t talked about what happened, but regardless, it’s still not okay to trivialize it.
Ever since his days with One Direction, Harry has made sure to make his concerts as welcoming and inclusive as he can. He has continued this with his solo shows, spreading messages of love and kindness at each one of his shows. By getting close to fans in his performances, he’s putting a level of trust in his audience, one that he deserves back.
As famous as he is, Harry Styles is still a human being that’s entitled to privacy and respect. He’s not some object that people can freely touch however they please. If someone hasn’t consented to being touched, it’s sexual assault, whether that be grabbing someone’s crotch, breasts, or buttocks.
Although what happened is unfortunate, it’s started a very important conversation that we need to be having – one about rape culture. Why do we keep blaming the victim, and not the perpetrator?