Harry Styles says it's 'outdated' to expect him to label his sexuality: 'It's mine'
- Harry Styles declined to label his sexuality during a recent interview with Better Homes & Gardens.
- He said the expectation "to clarify what boxes you're checking" is "outdated."
Harry Styles said the expectation to come out as queer is "outdated," particularly in the public eye.
During a recent interview with Better Homes & Gardens, the British rock star seemed to suggest he's not straight but declined to put a label on his sexuality.
"I've been really open with it with my friends, but that's my personal experience; it's mine," he said.
"The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn't matter," he continued, "and it's about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you're checking."
Styles has defended his "sexual ambiguity" in the past, particularly during a 2019 interview with The Guardian.
"It's not like I'm sitting on an answer, and protecting it, and holding it back," Styles said. "It's not a case of: 'I'm not telling you 'cause I don't want to tell you.' It's not: 'Ooh, this is mine and it's not yours.' It's: 'Who cares?' Does that make sense? It's just: 'Who cares?'"
"Am I sprinkling in nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try and be more interesting? No," he added.
Styles has only publicly dated women and is currently in a relationship with actress Olivia Wilde.
However, the "As It Was" singer is famous for aligning himself with the LGBTQ community, particularly by waving rainbow flags onstage. Most recently, he sang "Treat People With Kindness" at Coachella with a bisexual-pride flag draped over his shoulders.
During his weekend-two performance at the festival, he also performed an unreleased song called "Medicine," which many fans have interpreted as a queer anthem.
"The boys and the girls are in / I mess around with them / And I'm okay with it," he sings in the second verse, though some claim the correct lyric is actually "I mess around with him."
Styles' forthcoming third album, "Harry's House," is out May 20.