Billy Porter stopped by “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on Thursday (November 4) and his first order of business was apologizing to Harry Styles.
In case you missed it, Harry was the first man to appear on Vogue magazine wearing a dress.
During an interview last month, Billy called out the fashion industry and Vogue for their erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture.
I feel like the fashion industry has accepted me because they have to. I’m not necessarily convinced and here is why…I created the conversation and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time.
I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but he is the one you’re going to try and use to represent this new conversation? 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. I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars and not be gunned down. All he has to do is be white and straight.
Billy Porter got dragged in the streets of social media by Harry Styles fans.
He is now apologizing to Harry who got pulled into a much bigger issue and convo.
Apparently I’m famous now, and it was a slow news day, so the first thing I want to say is, ‘Harry Styles, I apologize to you for having your name in my mouth.’
It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you…the conversation is actually deeper than that. It is about the oppression and the erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture. That’s a lot to unpack.
I’m willing to unpack it sans the dragging and culture of the Internet because I do not now, nor will I ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media.
So when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a b*tch!
I’m sorry, Harry. I didn’t mean no harm. I’m a gay man. We like Harry. He’s cute!
Watch the clip below.
Billy Porter is truly a class act.
Hopefully, Harry Styles will understand and accept his apology.
