Back in 2020, Vogue released a magazine cover featuring Harry Styles that has been deemed “historical.” Styles was the first solo male to appear on the cover; however, it seems that even years later, this is still controversial. In fact, many, like the great Billy Porter, are furious about the editorial decision.
Three years later, the fashionista and trailblazing actor is still talking about the issue as he thinks the decision was solely made because the former One Direction star is “white and straight.” He also believed that Harry Styles was being used as gay-bait instead of giving people from the community the chance to represent them.
“It doesn’t feel good to me. You’re using my community — or your people are using my community — to elevate you. You haven’t had to sacrifice anything,” Porter said back when the magazine issue came out. But beyond Harry, there’s a deeper reason why he is still angry at Wintour.
Turns out that months before the release of the magazine, Anna Wintour approached Billy Porter to ask for his thoughts on the future of fashion and the subject of inclusivity. In Porter’s words: “That bitch 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,” he recalled.
He accepts that although he didn’t come up with a serious answer he would’ve advised her to “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,” he added.
Since then, although angry, Billy Porter has been firm in insisting that it’s not Harry Styles’ fault: “It’s not Harry Styles’ fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way … I call out the gatekeepers,” he said. Moreover, he says it’s a matter of a system of oppression towards people of color and diversity.
On the matter of Harry Styles, which many assured there was a feud, he explained that he’s “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. It is about the systems of oppression and erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture.”
The fashion world has evolved since this incident, but it’s true that Billy Porter still has reason to be angry even years later since the evolution seems more like a marketing strategy than a real and honest attempt to become more inclusive. White straight men still run the world of fashion and entertainment and if the media keeps prioritizing the spotlight on them, there won’t be a real and important change.
