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'."
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.
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.
One could also argue sex scenes essentially entail two people–regardless of gender–"going at it."
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.
My Policeman premieres in Toronto next month and is scheduled for an October 21 United States release.
You can watch the trailer, here.
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