Harry Styles’ gay sex comments spark huge debate about queerbaiting and outing

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Harry Styles has once again been accused of “queerbaiting” after commenting on gay sex and his own sexuality.

Styles, 28, has long been faced accusations of queerbaiting – adopting a queer image for profit without being part of the LGBTQ+ community – over his androgynous dress sense and comments about his own identity.

He shrugged off the claim in a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, saying: “Sometimes people say: ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone.”

“I’ve never talked about my life away from work publicly and found that it’s benefited me positively.”

Styles also discussed gay sex scenes in film, ahead of his own in My Policeman, saying that so much of it “is two guys going at it, and it kinds of removes the tenderness from it” – remarks that have spawned ridicule and renewed the queerbaiting debate.

Twitter users were divided by Harry Styles’ refusal to label his sexual orientation.

sorry I am really over the queer baiting product management of harry styles. it's part of the whole brand of harry styles I do not like it https://t.co/mHzZgShH2D

— ariANAL grande (THEY/THEM) (@emowag420) August 22, 2022

“how does he make it all look so easy”

well when you market yourself to a specific audience (the LGBTQ community) and try to sympathise with their struggles by claiming you’re ‘bi’ you begin to sell better.

i’m tired of his queer-baiting and HETEROSEXUAL self.

— soppy (@soppeyy) August 22, 2022

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Tyler The Creator did queer baiting better, yet Harry Styles is the most successful queer-baiter. What are we supposed to take from this?

— Flowige (@xFlowigex) August 22, 2022

harry styles fans going all oh i’ll support him even if he doesn’t come out like that’s just him queer baiting you with big words please