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The Curious Case of White Queerness
White queer identity is often allowed to be explored while other forms are ridiculed.
This is Pleasing: Harry Styles sets out to ‘dispel the myth of a binary existence’ reads the Guardian headline to describe the new lifestyle brand by the pop star. It’s a telling headline to an article that goes on to describe the business adventures of the artist who has increasingly embraced traditionally feminine looks into his style. From wearing dresses on major red carpets to embracing sexual fluidity in his music videos, it’s a major departure from his looks while a part of One Direction and a telling look into how white queerness is often allowed to be explored and embraced while other forms of queer identity are not.
Harry Styles isn’t the first white artists to get positive attention placed on them for embracing queer culture. Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Halsey, Taylor Swift, and even Shawn Mendes are artists that have co-opted queerness for their brands. And while Halsey openly embraces being bisexual, there’s often concern that these artists co-opt queerness as a marketing ploy. With a long history of queerbaiting for popularity in the media industry, it is justified to criticize this further.
What does it mean to be queer in the 21st century? Historically used as an umbrella term…
