Meredith Truax
Billy Porter is once again aiming for a Harry Styles cover look Vogue In 2020.
In an interview telegram, Published Friday (Aug. 11), turns 53 Pose The star reiterates her negative feelings about becoming Styles VogueFirst male cover star. He also blames the magazine’s longtime editor Anna Wintour, who interviewed Styles shortly before his cover story hit newsstands.
„That b—— eventually told me, 'How can we do better?’ „I was insecure because I didn’t say what I needed to say,” says Porter telegramHe told her, “Use your power like this Vogue To raise the voices of these gender-diverse leaders of the fashion movement … Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover.”
December 2020 issue Vogue Featuring a cover photo of the British pop star dressed in Gucci. In the story, she is inspired by her gender-bending fashion and the likes of David Bowie, Prince and Elton John.
His telegram In the interview, Porter explains that he has no problem with the former One Direction member.
„There’s no fault of Harry Styles, he’s white and handsome and straight and fits into the infrastructure that way,” explains the Tony and Grammy-winner. „I’ll call the gatekeepers.”
He adds, “[Styles is] White and he’s straight. That’s why he’s on the cover. Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. That’s not good for me. You use my community – or your people use my community – to elevate you. You don’t have to sacrifice anything.”
This isn’t the first time Porter has aired her frustrations on Styles’ Vogue Cover. In the interview of October 2021 The Sunday TimesThe Kinky Boots The star invited the „Watermelon Sugar” singers Vogue Schuette said it was a shame for pioneers like herself who worked to make androgynous and gender fluid fashion more mainstream.
“I’m not pulling Harry Styles, but is he the one you’re going to try and use to represent this new conversation? He doesn’t care, he just does it because it’s the thing to do,” Porter said at the time. “This is politics for me. This is my life. I had to fight my whole life not to get shot in a dress for the Oscars. All he has to do is be white and straight.
Porter later clarified his comments during an appearance The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
„Obviously I’m famous right now and it’s a slow news day, so the first thing I want to say is, 'Harry Styles, I apologize to you for putting your name in my mouth,'” she told Colbert in November 2021. „It’s not about you. The conversation isn’t about you…the conversation is actually deeper than that. It’s about the oppression and erasure of people of color who contribute to culture. There’s a lot to unpack. I’m willing to unpack that without the drag of the internet and the culture, because I’m in sound bites on social media. I don’t do life or humanity right now. So when you’re ready for a real conversation, call ab—-!”