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Is Harry Styles 'queerbaiting'? LGBTQ ally SLAMMED for not declaring his sexuality

Styles has often refused attempts by the media to discover more about his sexual orientation, claiming his desire for privacy

In a bizarre departure from the Left's normal support for gender ambiguity, some progressive reviewers are now criticizing flamboyant music singer Harry Styles for hesitating to publicly explain whether or not he is bisexual.

The criticism appears to be in response to a recent interview with 'Better Homes & Gardens,' which was released on Tuesday, 26 April, and in which the former 'One Direction' vocalist turned solo artist delivered a controversially questionable statement on the subject. Styles has often refused attempts by the media to discover more about his sexual orientation, claiming his desire for privacy and criticizing the concept as "outdated".

"I've been really open with it with my friends, but that's my personal experience; it's mine," he told the magazine. "The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn't matter, and it's about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you're checking." Some people apparently thought his arguments for not disclosing who he's slept with were reasonable. Others, though, were unsatisfied, according to EuroNews.

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Some social media critics, according to the publication, critiqued his privilege as an ostensibly straight man to be able to remove himself from discussions while still embracing a queer aesthetic.

The term "queerbaiting" refers to a situation in which someone likes the aesthetics of queer culture without committing to identifying with LGBT culture as a whole.  According to critics, "queerbaiting" allows people to ride the aesthetic without the personal challenges connected with openly identifying as queer in a heteronormative culture. Queer detractors accuse Styles of reaping the benefits of LGBTQ+ support without formally declaring himself bisexual.

People on the internet argued that one would expect that the LGBTQ+ community would applaud Styles' increasingly public endorsement of the movement. However, it appears that the pop star's Pride flag-waving and lavish dress-wearing are insufficient in current society. He must either completely reject the heteronormative lifestyle or revert to being a normal macho male.

One wrote, "Translation: I’m a straight man that wants to keep my queerbait marketing strategy." Another one wrote, "That would be nice if that was the case, but queerness is under attack constantly. Especially in some states where u can't even say gay. We can't all live in 2050 where ambiguous sexuality is the norm. We are living in 2022 and we need allies who will be loud and stand with us."