Harry Styles Responds To Critics Accusing Him Of Benefitting From LGBTQ+ Community

Harry Styles debuted as a solo contestant on The X Factor in 2010. Following his elimination, he was reintroduced to the boy band One Direction, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time until leaving for good in 2016. After critics alleged that Harry Style coopted queer aesthetics without claiming to be a part of the community, the ‘As It Was’ singer retorted.

While discussing his sexuality with the Rolling Stones, Harry Styles defended himself against accusations made by fans that he only dated women. “Sometimes people say, ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone,” Harry Styles said, without prompting. Harry appeared to react to critiques of his “gender fluidity in fashion.”

Some argued that he appropriated attitudes and aesthetics without publicly identifying as a part of the LBTQIA+ community. Harry spoke against the arguments about how he identifies, saying, “If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something.” Harry’s sexuality was the topic of rumors and speculation during his time with One Direction.

The “As It Was” singer told Spanos that he has stopped worrying about what people think and is working to clear the air.

“I’ve never talked about my life away from work publicly and found that it’s benefited me positively. There’s always going to be a version of a narrative, and I think I just decided I wasn’t going to spend the time trying to correct it or redirect it in some way.”

Those remarks follow Harry’s performance in My Policeman, in which he portrays the titular officer who develops feelings for a museum curator, played by David Dawson. The story is set in the 1950s, when same-sex relationships were illegal in the United Kingdom. “It’s obviously pretty unfathomable now to think, ‘Oh, you couldn’t be gay. That was illegal,’” the not-yet-30-year-old Styles said.

“I think everyone, including myself, has your own journey with figuring out sexuality and getting more comfortable with it.”

Styles also called the film a human story. “It’s not like, ‘This is a gay story about these guys being gay.’ It’s about love and about wasted time to me,” he said, adding that the film will focus on the sensitivity and emotional side of a same-sex relationship. “So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it,” he said.

“There will be, I would imagine, some people who watch it who were very much alive during this time when it was illegal to be gay, and [Michael] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive.”

Harry has been openly involved with his Don’t Worry Darling director, Olivia Wilde, since January 2021. The two met on set when Harry replaced Shia LaBeouf, who had been fired by Olivia for bad on-set conduct. Since then, the pair have kept their relationship pretty quiet, with only a few public appearances. On August 18th, the two were seen holding hands after eating at Ruby Rossa in NYC’s Little Italy.

Harry doesn’t hesitate to explore his feminine side, which is a positive sign. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

Do you agree with Harry’s response to the accusations made against him? Let us know in the comments!