Harry Styles' comment about onscreen gay sex furthers "queerbaiting" debate
Award-winning singer and actor Harry Styles is the subject of a major debate about “queerbaiting,” and his latest comments only seem to have made things more divisive.
The former One Direction member, who performed solo in Canada earlier this month as part of his Love On Tour World Tour, has been at the centre of this conversation for a while.
Now, an interview with Rolling Stone has sparked controversy. In it, the star talks about his upcoming film, My Policeman, where he plays the lead role of Tom Burgess, a gay man in 1950s Brighton. My Policeman is slated for its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 16.
“So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it,” said Styles, commenting on the portrayal of gay intimacy in cinema.
“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 [My Policeman director Michael Grandage] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive.”
So why are people fighting? Let’s dive in.
What is “queerbaiting”?
The term “queerbaiting” is a marketing or PR tactic often used in the literature and entertainment industries. It refers to the practice of implying there exists same-sex attraction, a queer relationship, or a personal journey with gender in a movie, for example, but with enough ambiguity to plausibly deny it.
This is done to attract a wider LGBTQ2S audience and ensure that the existing cisgender and heteronormative viewership remains steadfastly in place. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a dog whistle so as to not ring alarm bells.
What does it have to do with Harry Styles?
Let’s begin by making two things clear.
- Harry Styles has not come out about his gender and sexuality in a straightforward way, and;
- He is not obligated to declare his gender or sexual orientation.
These two points reflect the camps in the queerbaiting debate right now.
One camp believes Harry appropriates queer aesthetics as a cisgender, heterosexual man, and is “cosplaying” as gay.
Harry Styles needs to stop cosplaying as gay. Quit toying with us and our experience for your own commercial exposure.
— Benjamin Butterworth (@benjaminbutter) August 22, 2022
The other camp believes he does not have to formally “come out,” stressing how risky and dangerous coming out can be, and that he has already been signalling that he’s queer for years.
Harry is not het babe. Stop trying to label someone or assume what theyve went through, it’s really bad for the community as a whole to say you have to be out to be accepted. He has been queer coding for 12 yrs and now some crappy article twists his words & he’s suddenly het?? No
— Tina 🌈🏡 The Future is Now. 🌪 (@Tina28LH) August 22, 2022
For Harry Styles, queerbaiting suspicions started in 2018, when he performed his song “Medicine” at a concert in Switzerland. The then-unreleased single had lyrics about Harry “messing around” with men and women and being “okay with it.”
Then, there was the evolution of Harry Styles’ eccentric sartorial choices, which became a focus in 2020 with his Vogue cover. Styles is seen in a frilly cage dress, embracing softer masculinity in a field of grass.
View this post on Instagram
Before this cover, he had already made many fashion statements that played with gender, including an appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he dressed as a ballerina.
Harry’s unconventional personal style is peppered with reminders of queer culture, such as that of Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, or Prince.
- You might also like:
- Torontonians camping out all weekend for Harry Styles show sparks debate on city’s double standards
- Harry Styles spotted golfing near Toronto — wearing bellbottoms, of course (PHOTOS)
- Born Pink World Tour: K-pop supergroup Blackpink performing in Canada this fall
Dressed in billowing blouses, signature bellbottoms, or glittering bodysuits, often complete vibrant makeup and varnished nails, Styles has been making headlines for his fashion.
The star has publicly stood with the LGBTQ2S community as an ally since the early 2010s, and his growing status as a “queer pop” icon has led to him gaining more LGBTQ2S fans, with existing ones warming up to him even more.
View this post on Instagram
But for now, his fanbase stands divided.
What’s your stance on the Great Harry Styles Queerbait Debate? Let us know in the comments.
Follow Channels and Categories