“I think everyone, including myself, has your own journey with figuring out sexuality and getting more comfortable with it,” Harry Styles tells Rolling Stone for their September 2022 issue. Throughout his solo career, Styles has openly experimented with his own self-expression, blurring the line of the gender binary through his clothing and make-up, even appearing on the cover of Vogue donning a dress in December 2020. This is especially evident on his current tour, Love On Tour, where his concerts have turned into a safe haven for individuals to express themselves however they choose, creating a welcoming space for fans to feel comfortable in who they are. During his shows, Styles wears flamboyant outfits, waves pride flags, and sings songs that promote acceptance and kindness, telling the crowd that they’re safe to be their truest self. But many people, from the LGBTQ+ community and outside of it, seem to take issue with his sexual ambiguity. It’s a complicated discussion, and everyone has an opinion about it, so, what’s the answer?
To understand this dilemma better, I’m going to provide some context. Despite his own creative style and years of support for the queer community, Styles’ sexuality remains un-labeled. This means he’s never publicly come out as gay, bisexual, pansexual, etc.; as such, he’s never defined himself as straight, either. Now, I believe most people in the LGTBQ+ community, including myself, support individuals who choose not to label themselves. Someone’s sexuality is their business and they should feel free to choose how open they are about it. The issue lies in the fact that, at the moment, Styles is arguably one of the most influential stars in the world, and people feel that he’s actively benefiting from proximity to queerness without defining himself as a member of the community. It’s important to note that by ‘benefitting,’ I mean receiving credit for challenging societal norms, which may be underserved. There are transgender and gender-non-conforming folks, specifically racial minorities, who actively broke down barriers and paved the way for him.
It’s understandably frustrating when Styles is publicly safe because he’s not officially queer, yet he speaks to queerness as if he is. For example, in the same Rolling Stone article, Harry speaks about his new upcoming film, My Policeman, in which he plays a gay man, “So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it… [Michael] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive.” This quote received a lot of criticism, as it highlights Harry’s naivety about queer culture. In fact, I would argue that there are plenty of films about same-sex couples which are tender and honest. It seems to me, that whatever he was trying to say was poorly communicated, and particularly when commenting on queer culture, I wish he would choose his words more thoughtfully.
As a celebrity, there’s a fine line (pun intended) between preserving your privacy and knowing when to use your platform. Because Harry is as large as he is, he could be using his influence to label himself, and in turn, support the LGBTQ+ community in a more direct way. But doesn’t Harry, and other celebrities, deserve the same tolerance and acceptance as anyone else? Well, yes, of course they do. It’s a tough spot, because Harry shouldn’t feel the need to label himself, and his sexuality deserves to be kept as private as he wants. And yet, the positive impact of his (potential) coming out would be incalculable for queer identities, on a global scale. So, the question needs to be asked, do celebrities have a responsibility to use their platform for positive change?
These are difficult questions with unclear answers. As for Harry, I think it’s clear that despite some faults here and there, he has made a positive impact, especially among his fans, queer or otherwise. In an article titled, “Is “Treat People With Kindness” About Queer Liberation?”, Grayson Cabarle describes his experience at one of Harry’s many live performances, “I wish I could capture that moment in amber… the experience of being there, the crowd roaring as he raised the [pride] flag in the air. The unbridled joy of experiencing Harry Styles young and queer and proud, all of 27, giving it his all before the clock presses forward and his knees give out.”
Ultimately, we can’t force Harry to do or say anything, so instead, maybe we can extend our empathy to him and treat people with kindness.
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