Billy Porter has admitted he “doesn’t feel good” about Harry Styles being Vogue’s first male cover star.
The 53-year-old actor/singer has once again spoken out about the former One Direction star being the first male to appear on the cover of Vogue in December 2020.
Billy previously took issue with Harry, 29, being chosen for the prestigious cover, stating that he had “changed the game” regarding breaking gender norms.
During a recent interview with The Telegraph, Billy recalled doing a Q&A with Vogue editor Anna Wintour months before the cover was revealed.
He shared, “That b**ch said to me at the end, ‘How can we do better?’ And I was so taken off guard that I didn’t say what I should have said.”
Billy admitted that he wishes he had replied, “Use your power as Vogue to uplift the voices of the leaders of this de-gendering of fashion movement… Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover.”
The Pose star noted that he sent the As It Was hitmaker flowers after initially blasting the cover and insisted that he does not blame the pop star, who is known for his bold, androgynous style.
“It’s not Harry Styles’s fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way… I call out the gatekeepers,” Billy declared.
The actor then acknowledged that he was not “the first” to push the boundaries in terms of gender stereotypes in Hollywood, giving a nod to stars like David Bowie.
“(Harry is) white and he’s straight. That’s why he’s on the cover. Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. It doesn’t feel good to me,” Billy continued. “You’re using my community – or your people are using my community – to elevate you. You haven’t had to sacrifice anything.”
