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Harry Styles was slammed for downplaying queer cinema and describing sex scenes between two men as "two guys going at it," while promoting his new LGBTQ+ drama My Policeman.
The pop singer—infamous for being evasive about his sexual identity and having a preference for non-binary fashion—stars as a closeted gay cop in 1950s England.
He told Indiewire:
"It’s not like ‘This is a gay story about these guys being gay'."
\u201c\u201cSo much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it." Harry Styles talks about the queer sex scenes in his upcoming #MyPoliceman: https://t.co/jnY7S2XSbM\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
Styles' statement was a controversial one given the fact many people found it off-putting and:
"There’s a long history of straight people marketing queer stories as 'universal' in order to make them seem more palatable to straight audiences."
Styles added:
“It’s about love and about wasted time to me.”
In response to his statement, the Guardian commented:
"This is an age-old tactic to make gay subject matter more appealing to timid, potentially prejudiced majority audiences."
"It’s the same mentality that has made 'love is love' the standard slogan in bringing straight allies to Pride and queer-rights causes."
But what most people found offensive was what the "Watermelon Sugar" singer generally said about sex scenes in gay movies.
“So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it."
He added:
“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 [director Michael] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive.”
Many social media users found his opinion to be ignorant.
They also found his declarative statement encouraged the sanitization of gay sex scenes to make them more palatable for homophobic audiences.
\u201cthere's something about this kind of statement that is so deeply arrogant and homophobic, trying to front like it is somehow about respect for gay love while playing to the heterosexist tendency to cast gay sex as dirty. this man is so exhausting.\u201d— excessively black \u2721\ufe0f (@excessively black \u2721\ufe0f) 1661207498
\u201c@IndieWire What is up with people always needing queer sex scenes to be soft and tender? I've spent years watching straight couples "go at it", why this need to sanitize queer stories for the comfort of straight people? I'm sure films can have a couple have hardcore sex and still be tender\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
\u201c@IndieWire i don\u2019t get why when it\u2019s a gay couple having sex the scene must have some meaningful psychological sht behind it. apparently it can\u2019t be just two guys having sex LIKE STRAIGHT COUPLES DO IN MOST MOVIES.\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
Much of the controversy stems from Styles' public image.
Even though he is perceived as heterosexual by the media—he is currently dating Don't Worry Darling director Olivia Wilde—Styles refuses to put a label on his sexuality.
This is also reflected in his appearance as he often sports gender-fluid fashion which he defended by subtly clapping back at critics who denounced his lack of manliness.
Despite having a huge queer fanbase as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, many find his sexual ambiguity almost frustrating leading to him being accused of queerbaiting.
\u201c@IndieWire Harry Styles needs to stop cosplaying as gay. Quit toying with us and our experience for your own commercial exposure.\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
\u201c@IndieWire Zero patience for HS and his endless queerbaiting. He gets to have visibility and financial success from queer public with his quotes about his \u201cprivate life and sexual fluidity\u201d (which oddly enough only includes cis women), while enjoying all the privileges of a straight man\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
\u201c@IndieWire For a guy who doesn't "label himself" and sexuality for him is "fun" it's pretty weird how people hold him as a gay icon although he hasn't done really anything for the community, the fact that he just summarised gay sex to " two guys going at it" is pretty inappropriate\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
\u201c@fotinisdaylight @IndieWire Because other unlabelled people don\u2019t talk in circles about their identity, or voice their opinions about queer rep and portrayal in media made by and for queer people. \n\nHe\u2019s entitled to privacy, but his actions create this discourse around his identity. It\u2019s a publicity stunt\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
One could also argue sex scenes essentially entail two people–regardless of gender–"going at it."
\u201c@IndieWire I think this happens in the other kinds of sex too\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
But to suggest sex scenes in most gay films are dirty and loveless was a bold insinuation coming from the high-profile, sexually ambiguous celeb.
Many people wondered which mainstream LGBTQ+ films he's been watching to support his claim.
\u201c@IndieWire i\u2019d be very curious to hear where he is finding all of these rough gay sex scenes in film lol love hearing a straight man\u2019s opinion on what gay sex in art should be though\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
\u201c@IndieWire Oscar winning movie Moonlight would like to have a word.\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
\u201c@IndieWire I LOVE Harry (as most can tell from my profile pic/username).. but the criticism of his quotes on this subject are 100% valid. And as an openly bi fan, I hope the backlash to this doesn\u2019t make him run away, but rather, encourages him to learn more about lgbt cinema/representation\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1661182200
My Policeman premieres in Toronto next month and is scheduled for an October 21 United States release.
You can watch the trailer, here.