Plenty of Thoughts

The Internet Has a Few Words About That Harry Styles Interview

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Harry Styles is the first global cover star of Rolling Stone. 

The English pop star, formerly of One Direction fame, has broken free from his boy band roots and is finding his footing in the likeness of David Bowie and Mick Jagger. With hits like his Grammy Award-winning “Watermelon Sugar” and his recent number one hit “As It Was”, has cemented his superstardom. However, his interview with Rolling Stone is leaving folks with a lot of thoughts.

First, the publication deemed him the new “King of Pop”.

The singer gave his take on his relationships.

And then there were his thoughts on “queerbaiting” that definitely didn’t pair well with his thoughts on gay sex in film.

While many are stuck on his relationship philosophy or his highly debatable “King of Pop” status, queer folks have a bone to pick with him around queerness. Look, no one is entitled to know your sexuality and yet, we recognize the power that comes with being a high-profile queer person and the influence they have on society. 

Has Harry been outspoken with his sexuality? No. Would Harry want to be a “spokesperson” if he was openly queer? Probably not. We can acknowledge presumably straight, cis men for pushing gender and sexuality norms placed on them by society, but in no way should that discredit the queer and trans folks who been doing that since *check notes* forever. 

The pedestal that entertainers, like Harry, are placed on, ultimately stands on the backs of the LGBTQ folks pushing for that level of freedom. So for the Harry’s House performer to gain acclaim and profit on potentially performative queerness naturally doesn’t sit well with different members of the LGBTQ community who live their lives and are routinely punished for it. 

And while many have issues with his thoughts on queerness, they definitely weren’t given any peace of mind when he started discussing and, inadvertently, dissed queer cinema. There are plenty of films that highlight tender, queer stories and do so delicately when portraying sex on-screen. Having someone who doesn’t outright identify with the LGBTQ community talk about queer cinema and sex in a reductive way gave plenty of queer folks something to talk about. 

It’s safe to say that queer folks are not amused. 

Tags: As It Was, Gay Sex, Harry Styles, King of Pop, Queer cinema, Queerbaiting, Rolling Stone, Sexuality, watermelon sugar
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