Harry Styles has been in the spotlight for almost a decade now, and he still manages to surprise his audience of how amazing he is. Most people in my life know that I am in love with him. I make it pretty obvious since he’s my lock screen. So, when I heard that my one and only was being considered to play Prince Eric in the Little Mermaid, I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, he declined the offer. HOWEVER, I think this is a perfect time to discuss why he has been a real-life prince in disguise as a pop star!
1. He doesn’t conform to gender norms
In the past couple of years, Styles has been known to experiment with his fashion. He’s done it all: floral suits, sheer blouses, pantsuits, earrings, heels, painted nails. However, the coolest part about his fashion is that even though he’s constantly under a microscope, he didn’t limit himself to gender roles. He unapologetically shows his femine side through his clothes, and more importantly, he’s comfortable with it, too. He also isn’t afraid to be emotional and advocatates for men to not suppress their feelings. He has cried numerous times on stage. For a pop star like him to be perpetuating these kinds of messages is admirable, especially since the idea of masculinity has been so ingrained in our society.
2. Avid Supporter of the LGBTQ+ community
During an interview years ago, Harry and Liam were asked to describe their ideal date. Liam said, “Female.” Harry responded with “Not that important.” Those three words were the beginning of Harry’s public support of the LGBTQ+ community. He has since held up PRIDE flags during his concerts. He donated profits from his merchandise to GLEN, or Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. During his show in Stockholm, he said, “If you are black, if you are white, if you are gay, if you are straight, if you are transgender — whoever you are, whoever you wanna be — I support you, I love every single one of you.” WOW, that felt like a nice warm hug, thanks Harry! On a more serious note, he provides a safe place during his concerts where his fans can be whoever they want to be, and that’s what makes him truly beautiful.
Via UnitedByPop
3. Always Treats People with Kindness
Everyone from celebrities to fans rave about how kind he is to other people. He has impeccable manners and always makes the other person feel special. He took this mindset to the next level when he put “Treat People With Kindness” onto his merch (I’m actually wearing the hoodie right now as I type this article.) This motto is etched onto all of his merch, and think about how many people would buy his hoodie and t-shirts. He knew that he has massive influence over the youth, and he used it to spread positivity. Now that’s what I call a good role model.
Via WeHeartIt
4. Gives Women the respect They Deserve
When asked if he was disappointed that his fanbase is majority teenage girls, Styles had a bold response: “Who’s to say that young girls who like pop music – short for popular, right? – have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? That’s not up to you to say. Music is something that’s always changing. There’s no goalposts. Young girls like the Beatles. You gonna tell me they’re not serious? How can you say young girls don’t get it? They’re our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going. Teenage-girl fans – they don’t lie. If they like you, they’re there. They don’t act ‘too cool.’ They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick.”
In the age of #MeToo and conversations surrounding women’s equality, it’s comforting to know that there are some men out there that support women, too. He always has publicly shown his support for women’s empowerment. Whether it was participating in the #HeForShe campaign or calling out men for their ignorance, he always made sure he was defending women. He was asked in an interview if the 1D boys call dibs on girls they like, he responded with, “No. We don’t really do that. We feel that objectifies women and that’s not really what we’re about.” Thank you, Harry.
Via Twitter
5. Donates to Charity
When Styles cut his long locks for his acting debut in Dunkirk, everyone was speculating how he would look with his new hair. Instead of flaunting his new hairstyle on Instagram like a normal celebrity, he instead posted the picture below with the caption “Whoops. #LittlePrincessTrust.” The Little Princess Trust is a charity which makes wigs of real hair for children suffering from hair loss. Styles donating his hair to the charity got them international attention, and their donations increased tremendously! In addition, his first solo tour raised $1.2 million for over 62 charities such as Time’s Up and March For Our Lives to Help Refugees and the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, etc. Side note, Styles has also registered tons of his fans to vote through the Headcount campaign, made thousands of connections between fans and local charities, and tried to perpetuate conservation by recycling over 6,500 gallons of water at his shows.
Via Instagram
There are many reasons to love Harry Styles. He has consistently used his fame for good, and been a positive influence for so many people. He is someone I admire deeply (and would love to go on a date with), and I hope reading this made you feel the same way.