Harry Styles finds himself once again in the middle of a controversy, and the topic is the usual one – queerbaiting accusations. If you’re not familiar with the term, according to dictionary.com, “queerbaiting refers to the practice of implying non-heterosexual relationships or attraction…to engage or attract an LGBTQ audience or otherwise generate interest without actually depicting such relationships or sexual interactions.” While the term was originally used to describe situations in TV shows or movies where this happened, it has since evolved, having more recently started being applied to real-life situations. So, what did Harry Styles do to elicit these queerbaiting claims?
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Styles talked about his upcoming movie, My Policeman, where he plays the role of Tom, a ’50s London policeman who, despite pursuing a relationship with a woman, falls in love with another man named Patrick. Regarding this subject, Styles stressed the importance of portraying sex scenes between men with the tenderness, which is sometimes lacked in films. During the interview, the singer/actor also addressed the public’s intense speculations about his own sexuality and claimed he finds the arguments used by people regarding his identity as silly, saying:
“Sometimes people say, ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone. If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something.”
This response sparked a lot of debate online, with a big part of the public claiming Harry Styles is once again refusing to give an actual answer about his sexuality, while simultaneously stringing his LGBTQ+ audience along, and profiting off his strong public image by wearing androgynous and extravagant fashion (which has often been linked to the LGBTQ+ community).
Meanwhile, other people have defended Styles, claiming he shouldn’t feel the need to publicly state his sexuality, as that is his private business. There are also claims that embracing androgynous clothing doesn’t equate to queer-baiting, and that everyone should be free to express themselves in any way they choose to, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity.
While the queerbaiting allegations against Harry Styles are nothing new, it certainly seems like they have grown in recent years, with the flame being rekindled every time the singer chooses to speak on the subject. As more and more people seem to grow tired of waiting on a clear answer from him, it seems likely that this controversy won’t be Styles’ last.