Billy Porter reveals why he apologized to Harry Styles

[RenegAde 19,294]

13 minutes ago, MelbHawker said:

His initial response to it was a joke (in my opinion), & was more a ‘look at me’ plea than anything of substance/depth re: this issue. How about he checks himself too instead of just back tracking on his dragging of Harry. His reasoning for apologizing being ‘it steered the conversation to Harry & not the issue’.. what did he expect to happen by dragging Harry Styles of all people for something like this? He claims to be a leader.. act & speak like it. You’ve got the platform. So do it properly.

He actually didn't even "drag" Harry in his initial statement, he spoke the truth but Harry fans couldn't handle the fact that he is getting so much praise,notoriety,fame and money  for something that he really shouldn't be.

[SHALLOW 16,419]

2 minutes ago, Reality said:

We don't know if he's straight. He hasn't confirmed nor denied that he's queer.

He's really the voice that the LGBTQ+ community needs. 

[Fanta 5,019]

23 minutes ago, Reality said:

The thing about this conversation that I find annoying is, why go after Harry Styles? At this point, I'm not even talking about Billy Porter, but more so about other people who are coming after Harry now. Like, he's just doing his own this, minding his own business, and people are over here screaming that he "doesn't deserve" to be "leading" the movement. He never called himself a leader. No one is putting that label on him other than the people who want to be offended.

Harry may or may not be queer himself, he hasn't confirmed nor denied it, so how could someone judge him for "queerbaiting" when we don't even know if he's queer. Like, if Ed Sheeran or Justin Bieber tried to what Harry was doing, I think it'd be very clear that they were just doing it for shock value and not because they actually identify with or care about the community. But that's not the case here.

Obviously, it is important to lift up LGBTQ POC's voices. As a gay POC myself, clearly that is something I believe in. I think that there is a bigger conversation that needs to be had about LGBTQ POC not getting as much representation and credit as they should, and that is something Billy points out that I 1000% agree with. But also, let's get real here. I see so many people talk about lifting up LGBTQ POC's voices, but then I walk into a Lil Nas X thread (who, whether you like him or not, is doing a sh*t ton of work for the LGBTQ community, especially in the rap community), and half the comments there are saying he's "trying too hard" or that he's "inauthentic" or whatever. Like, practice what y'all wanna preach and instead of trying to drag him, how about you be appreciative of the fact that we have a major gay POC in the rap community?

Because Harry is part of the problem. He clearly has no issue presenting himself as what he perceives (at this point I believe is being told) is androgyny and gender bending. He wears the outfits like a costume for photoshoots and in everyday life he is another basic, masc allegedly straight white man. He brings nothing to the table and yet finds it fitting to appear on magazine covers as the gender bending revolutionary. You can't claim that all of this comes without some level of awareness of what he's trying to present, and that's the problem. Why is he okay being the white-washed face of a movement and community that has done the work for him?

At least Billy is an older, queer black individual who has been consistent in his image. It's not just Vogue saying Harry we want you, it's him practically cosplaying as androgynous and relishing in the brownie points he scores along the way.

[MelbHawker 6,583]

10 minutes ago, RenegAde said:

He actually didn't even "drag" Harry in his initial statement, he spoke the truth but Harry fans couldn't handle the fact that he is getting so much praise,notoriety,fame and money  for something that he really shouldn't be.

Hmmm.. well he did say that Harry doesn’t care about the issue & that he was basically doing it because it’s ‘the thing to do’. It’s a very shallow & negative thing to assume of someone you haven’t spoken to about the issue in any way. He also followed these statements with the words ‘I’m not dragging Harry’ & then went on about how he did it first, and quote ‘now everybody’s doing it’. I couldn’t take his response seriously. It was bitchy, attention seeking, egotistical and felt far removed from the actual issue he claims to be a leader of. 

[Chlorine 47,976]

I really don't get the gatekeeping mentality, that you need to be queer to wear a dress. To me that defeats the entire purpose of the movement. 

Also, I wonder what would have happened if Billy said what he wanted to say to Anna when she asked how Vogue could do better. 

[Bat 6,162]

1 hour ago, Fanta said:

I am so tempted to drag some of y'all but for the sake of kindness I'm keeping it cute and on mute. I stand with Billy and what he is saying. As a queer, POC myself the points he is making are not only extremely valid but also in his situation understandable. H*rry St*les has contributed little to nothing to the androgynous, gender-bending movement that has been spearheaded by feminine gay men and drag queens, a lot of which were black individuals and POC.

For a seemingly straight, white and masc individual to hop onto the trend and get the most coveted and desirable cover in fashion it is a slap in the face of all those that have actually contributed sweat, blood and tears to the community so people like me and even St*les can have fun experimenting with fashion and makeup - and this is coming from me, a queer POC.

If you are too immature to process the larger part of this conversation then please do not contribute with ignorance and dismissal, you are not in any way helping.

Thank you, this is one of the best well-written posts I've seen on her in such a long time. 

[Guest]

oh my gosh it's still happening

Harry Styles still hasnt said anything from the very start

[LilMonst3r 5,537]

I totally agree with Billy, I'm sorry but I feel 5 years from now or more Harry is  not gonna be dressing the way he has been. Harry may be exploring being non-binary right now but I don’t believe it will be a part of his identity for the rest of his life unlike other queer people. I could be wrong but somehow that's what I feel in my gut. It reminds me of when Nicki Minaj would dress up Campy and we come to find out she never knew what Camp fashion was, her team were too busy trying to keep up with Gaga to be a prt of the fashionable conversation then she stopped dressing in campy fashion because it was limiting her audience thats what i think Harry is gonna do.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Fanta said:

For a seemingly straight, white and masc individual

Harry Styles never said he was straight, I highly doubt that he is

[thatfoxyfeeling 13,017]

29 minutes ago, MelbHawker said:

Hmmm.. well he did say that Harry doesn’t care about the issue & that he was basically doing it because it’s ‘the thing to do’. It’s a very shallow & negative thing to assume of someone you haven’t spoken to about the issue in any way. He also followed these statements with the words ‘I’m not dragging Harry’ & then went on about how he did it first, and quote ‘now everybody’s doing it’. I couldn’t take his response seriously. It was bitchy, attention seeking, egotistical and felt far removed from the actual issue he claims to be a leader of. 

Thank you, I couldn’t agree more. I really don’t like this assumption that you have to be queer to wear a dress? 

[SKANK 14,288]

 

"..5 months later Harry Styles is on the cover of Vogue, first man in a dress."

Billy is still wrong, and is continuing to erase the legacy of folks who came before him. Andre J was the first man to wear a dress on the cover of Vogue.

His initial comment; “I. Personally. Changed. The. Whole. Game. And that is not ego, that is just fact. I was the first one doing it & now everybody is doing it. I created the conversation.." was also wrong.

For the sake of his ego he seems set on disregarding the legacy of trailblazing fashion gender rebels that came before him. He didn't create this conversation, nor was he the first man to wear a dress on the red carpet.

I like Billy. I am thrilled that he exists in our culture. But every time he speaks about this Vogue cover it's clear he is speaking from a place of professional jealousy rather than activism.

I'm glad men like Billy and Harry are continuing the long history of people shedding the boring limitations of gendered fashion. They both should be celebrated.

[REALITY 76,783]

51 minutes ago, Fanta said:

Because Harry is part of the problem. He clearly has no issue presenting himself as what he perceives (at this point I believe is being told) is androgyny and gender bending. He wears the outfits like a costume for photoshoots and in everyday life he is another basic, masc allegedly straight white man. He brings nothing to the table and yet finds it fitting to appear on magazine covers as the gender bending revolutionary. You can't claim that all of this comes without some level of awareness of what he's trying to present, and that's the problem. Why is he okay being the white-washed face of a movement and community that has done the work for him?

At least Billy is an older, queer black individual who has been consistent in his image. It's not just Vogue saying Harry we want you, it's him practically cosplaying as androgynous and relishing in the brownie points he scores along the way.

But it's fashion, not brain surgery. If Harry wants to wear angryogynous and "gender-bending" clothing for photoshoots and concerts, why stop him from doing that? He doesn't need to be wearing those types of clothing every single day if he doesn't want to. What about Gaga? Does she need to wear extravagent costumes everywhere she goes? Clearly she doesn't because there are times where we see her in just a t-shirt and sweatpants and that's totally fine.

Harry has never claimed to be "revolutionary." He has never claimed himself to be a "leader" or a "pivotal figure" in the LGBTQ community. He's just wearing what he wants to wear, and what's bad about that? 

Queer POC need their voice represented, I 1000% agree with that, like I said earlier, but I think we also have to pick and choose our battles. Harry is a non-issue, imo. The trouble with this argument is that there are two different conversations people are having: the first being about queer POC not getting representation, and the second being about Harry seemingly "queerbaiting" in general. The first is an issue that I think we can all agree one. The second is something I have a problem with because I genuinely don't think he is "queerbaiting" people. 

But let's just say for a second that Harry is straight. Okay. Isn't the point of androgynous fashion the fact that ANYONE can wear it? Yes, it is important to give credit where credit is due (particularly when it comes to queer POC), but at the same time, you cannot gatekeep fashion forever, especially if you want a truly equal society. They're just pieces of fabric at the end of the day. Even if Harry was straight (which again, is something we don't know for sure), a straight man embracing more "feminine" qualities is progressive. It battles the issues of toxic masculinity and the need for men to be "manly" (which is a contrived and absurd notion to begin with).

[JanStan 574]

While I can agree with some of what he says the problem is that he acts as if anyone cares if an openly gay man wears a dress. This isn’t 1998. That isn’t revolutionary or boundary pushing at all. He literally wore a tuxedo dress at the oscars and he got rave reviews for it (I LIVED for the look). Now I don’t agree that Harry Styles was the most boundary pushing either but he is known for his fashion. What I would have loved is if a rapper or country singer did it instead. Now that would have been a conversation starter. 

[Cody James 1,519]

So what if a straight man bends fashion and gender norms. I like wearing feminine things and would love to feel more comfortable to be in a society where it is more exposed and accepted.

[moonsago 7,285]

1 hour ago, SKANK said:

 

"..5 months later Harry Styles is on the cover of Vogue, first man in a dress."

Billy is still wrong, and is continuing to erase the legacy of folks who came before him. Andre J was the first man to wear a dress on the cover of Vogue.

His initial comment; “I. Personally. Changed. The. Whole. Game. And that is not ego, that is just fact. I was the first one doing it & now everybody is doing it. I created the conversation.." was also wrong.

For the sake of his ego he seems set on disregarding the legacy of trailblazing fashion gender rebels that came before him. He didn't create this conversation, nor was he the first man to wear a dress on the red carpet.

I like Billy. I am thrilled that he exists in our culture. But every time he speaks about this Vogue cover it's clear he is speaking from a place of professional jealousy rather than activism.

I'm glad men like Billy and Harry are continuing the long history of people shedding the boring limitations of gendered fashion. They both should be celebrated.

PERIOD. But I love how uneducated people that haven’t done one google search talk out of their as* in this thread. Billy is speaking out of greed and jealousy. And before Andre, there have been multiple people to crossdress and have been photographed before ( of different sexualities and races, of which were mostly white men like Harry, just type in vintage crossdressers photos ) even extremely old pictures. Yes, not for a magazine but Billy speaks as if he was the first to do it and wants credit for ‘making history’, the evil of gate keeping and need to be ‘the first’ is insane to me. Instead of going after people like Harry who seems to genuinely like to wear clothes regardless of the gender they were associated to, go after the people that have a problem with gay or/& poc people that do it. THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM. The way the focus shifts on the wrong thing is crazy when it comes to convos like this, not to mention that ya’ll are a bunch of hypocrists that contradict themselves because in another breath ya’ll be talking about gender norms and stereotypes and wearing whatever you want regardless of your sex and sexuality but when someone does that you find a problem with it. F*cking THINK before you speak because you stink of IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY. 

 

1 hour ago, Frank Potion said:

I really don't get the gatekeeping mentality, that you need to be queer to wear a dress. To me that defeats the entire purpose of the movement. 

Also, I wonder what would have happened if Billy said what he wanted to say to Anna when she asked how Vogue could do better. 

Also the reply above.