‘This is politics for me’: Why Billy Porter is not a fan of Harry Styles’ Vogue cover
"I changed the whole game...I. Personally. Changed. The. Whole. Game. And that is not ego, that is just fact," he said.
He stressed that non-binary fashion is a means of political statement for him. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) Whether at the Oscars or the Met Gala, Billy Porter’s striking red carpet appearances are etched in our memories. The Pose actor melds his personal fashion with the occasion — and the result is a fashion extravaganza. While at it, he also challenges gender-specific outfits. So it is not surprising that he is often seen wearing elaborate gowns, skirts and even heels.
But there are others, too. Like singer Harry Styles who have experimented with their style also appeared on the cover of a fashion magazine wearing a dress in December 2019. Porter, however, is not a fan.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, as quoted by CNN, he stated that opportunities did not come easy to him “as a Black, gay man” and there was a disconnect with those given to Styles.
“I created the conversation (about non-binary fashion) and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time,” he told the publication.
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“I changed the whole game…I. Personally. Changed. The. Whole. Game. And that is not ego, that is just fact. I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it,” he continued.
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Porter, who turned author with Unprotected: A Memoir, said: “He is the one you’re going to try and use to represent this new conversation…I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but...he doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life…I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars and not be gunned now. All he has to do is be white and straight.”
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