Billy Porter Slammed After Criticizing Vogue Cover Of Harry Styles In A Dress

Actor Billy Porter is under fire after criticizing Vogue over Harry Styles’ historic magazine cover, which featured the “Watermelon Sugar” singer wearing a Gucci lace-trimmed dress with a tuxedo jacket.

The 27-year-old singer became the first man in the history of the magazine to appear solo on the cover. Although Styles has garnered praise for his fluid style, Porter, who began wearing dresses before the singer, felt he should have received recognition for his contributions to the fashion world.

“I changed the whole game,” Porter told The Sunday Times. “I. Personally. Changed. The. Whole. Game. And that is not ego, that is just fact. I was the first one doing it, and now everybody is doing it.”

Porter credited himself for breaking gender fashion norms and denounced Vogue for choosing to shine a light on Styles rather than the importance of “Pose” star’s past attire.

“I feel like the fashion industry has accepted me because they have to. I’m not necessarily convinced, and here is why,” Porter explained.

“I created the conversation [about non-binary fashion] and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time.”

On Monday, Porter’s name became a trending topic on Twitter, with users slamming the actor for labeling Styles and appearing bitter about being snubbed by Vogue.

“It is pretty disappointing that Billy Porter would say Harry doesn’t care and is just doing this because it’s a thing to do. Who gave you the right to judge Harry and also assume such things. You don’t know his reasons, and Harry has never said, ‘I am straight,’” one user posted.

Another user noted that Porter previously complimented Styles on his Vogue cover. “Billy Porter was also the same person to praise Harry about the Vogue cover, why the change of opinion all of a sudden,” the post read.

Despite Porter’s issue with Vogue about the lack of recognition, the 52-year-old insisted he did not have a problem with Styles.

“I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but he is the one you’re going to try and use to represent this new conversation?” the Porter questioned.

“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 now. All he has to do is be white and straight.”

As of Monday afternoon, neither Styles nor Vogue has publicly addressed Porter’s comments.