DAN WOOTTON: Harry Styles is a real talent, but the constant attempts to make the world think he’s gay (while parading yet another glamorous girlfriend) to further his woke credentials is becoming tiresome and borderline offensive
The lothario, mega s*****r and very heterosexual Harry Styles really, really wants to make you think he’s gay.
I know that’s quite a bizarre concept given that closeted high profile A-list male celebrities have spent decades doing all they can to make you think they’re straight.
But this is 2022 when gender and sexuality has become a tradable commodity for popstars looking to enhance their woke credentials.
Now I’ve always been a fan of Mr Styles – he’s a real talent whose career I have supported since first meeting him as an enthusiastic teen with stars in his eyes in the canteen backstage at the X Factor, where he effortlessly flirted with virtually every glamorous woman in the vicinity, especially those twice his age.
His seemingly effortless transition from One Direction member into a Bowie-style musician has been a sight to behold and belies his determination, creativity and dedication to become the biggest popstar in the world.
However, I’m becoming increasingly uncomfortable with his constant and insincere attempts to insert himself in the so-called LGBT+ community with incessant references to the ‘journey’ of his sexuality, which actually involves dating a parade of beautiful women and no men.
In an embarrassingly fawning new interview with Rolling Stone, Harry has again tried to create a mystery around his sexual orientation while promoting his new film My Policeman, where he plays a closeted cop in 1950s Brighton.
I’ve always been a fan of Mr Styles – he’s a real talent whose career I have supported since first meeting him as an enthusiastic teen with stars in his eyes in the canteen backstage at the X Factor
However, I’m becoming increasingly uncomfortable with his constant and insincere attempts to insert himself in the so-called LGBT+ community
In an embarrassingly fawning new interview with Rolling Stone, Harry has again tried to create a mystery around his sexual orientation
He said: ‘It’s obviously pretty unfathomable now to think, ‘Oh, you couldn’t be gay. That was illegal.’ I think everyone, including myself, has your own journey with figuring out sexuality and getting more comfortable with it.’
I’m of the belief that, like your skin colour or sex, you don’t choose your sexuality, it’s an innate part of who you are.
Even today, many gay or lesbian people have a problem coming out because of societal norms and a feeling they have spent years growing up lying to their loved ones about who they are.
For Harry to act as if it’s a fun little part of his life that he might tap into one day when he pleases deeply undermines those who have struggled to accept their sexuality.
The bizarre thing is that Harry spends more time pretending to be gay than I do talking about actually being gay – and it’s becoming tiresome and borderline offensive.
My friend Benjamin Butterworth, a leftie with whom I agree on virtually nothing politically, summed it up perfectly yesterday, when he tweeted: ‘Harry Styles needs to stop cosplaying as gay. Quit toying with us and our experience for your own commercial exposure.’
The 28-year-old has also been accused of ‘queerbaiting’, a term used to describe the marketing techniques of entertainment companies or individuals who hint at same-sex attraction with the representation of ambiguous sexual identity without actually depicting LGBT sex or relationships.
In response, Harry argued in the interview: ‘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.’
For Harry to act as if it’s a fun little part of his life that he might tap into one day when he pleases deeply undermines those who have struggled to accept their sexuality
The bizarre thing is that Harry spends more time pretending to be gay than I do talking about actually being gay
So are we meant to believe that Harry has been happy to be seen dating a host of the world’s most beautiful women, from Taylor Swift to Kendall Jenner, but conducts romances with men out of the glare of the spotlight? Pull the other one!
If Harry wanted to put this whole matter to rest, all he needed to do is say: Yes, I’ve had sex with men before and it’s no big deal. We’d all move on.
But the likelihood is that, as a straight bloke, Harry isn’t sexually attracted to men, which is completely normal.
I’ve spoken to Harry’s close friends and confidantes over the years who have been open about how closely he studied the careers of his heroes Mick Jagger and David Bowie, where an androgynous approach and gay rumours helped fuel their mythology.
I fear Harry has cynically tried to create the same vibe using gender fluid clothing and carefully chosen words in interviews.
He also likes to claim he doesn’t discuss his private life.
He told Rolling Stone: ‘I’ve never talked about my life away from work publicly and found that it’s benefited me positively. There’s always going to be a version of a narrative, and I think I just decided I wasn’t going to spend the time trying to correct it or redirect it in some way.’
But that’s baloney.
His music contains deeply sexual and romantic lyrics aimed at the opposite sex; his No1 single Watermelon Sugar was about a sex act men perform on women.
And the interview in question with Rolling Stone featured the first joint chat with his current girlfriend Olivia Wilde, to promote their upcoming movie together Don’t Worry Darling.
If Harry wanted to put this whole matter to rest, all he needed to do is say: Yes, I’ve had sex with men before and it’s no big deal. We’d all move on.
His music contains deeply sexual and romantic lyrics aimed at the opposite sex; his No1 single Watermelon Sugar was about a sex act men perform on women
In fact, Wilde even appears alongside her man in the interview to decry the ‘toxic negativity’ towards her from his fans online which is ‘the antithesis of Harry, and everything he puts out there’.
Many will think it’s unfair to criticise Harry and argue he can define sexually however he chooses, but I think that misses the point.
As a gay man I’m only too aware that you can’t pick and choose your sexuality, as much as you can’t choose your race or biological sex, although the woketopians out there will disagree with me on the latter point.
I’ve also given Harry many years to explore, given that I understand some people take time to make conclusions about where they stand on the sexual spectrum.
When I interviewed Harry in 2017, I asked him directly whether he had labelled his sexuality.
He replied: ‘No, I’ve never felt the need to really. No.’
Would he like to elaborate? ‘I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself.’
At the time, Miley Cyrus had spoken publicly about her so-called pansexuality, so I asked what he thought about that.
He answered curiously: ‘Being in a creative field, it’s important to be progressive. People doing stuff like that is great. It’s weird for me — everyone should just be who they want to be. It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.’
But that’s the problem with the new breed of celebrities who think that sexuality is just the latest field in which to express their creativity and progressiveness.
Sure, dress up in women’s clothing, wear nail polish, adorn yourself in the rainbow flag, I don’t give a damn.
But to equate fashion, styling and trends with sexuality is deeply misguided.
Harry might think he’s helping in some way by showing it’s possible for straight stars to be comfortable with all persuasions, but I feel strongly he’s belittling the real ‘journey’ of what it means to be gay.
Harry’s advice to his unborn children in the Rolling Stone interview is ‘to be themselves and be vulnerable and share’.
Advice that he would be sensible to take up himself to stop this gay charade.
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