If you’ve ever wondered why Harry Styles hasn’t been more vocal about social issues, the pop artist has offered a rare explanation. The One Direction alum opened up about his world views while stopping by the French TV show Quotidien to promote his debut solo song, “Sign of the Times.” When asked about his opinion of Brexit, the divisive UK vote to leave the European Union that took place last June, Harry replied, “I don’t really comment on politics. To me, I think anything that brings people together is better than things that pull people apart.”
After the host Yann Barthès pressed him, though, pointing out, “But you’re in favor of equality: men, woman, gay people, straight people... that’s politics,” Harry explained that, to him, those things aren’t politics. “That doesn’t feel like politics to me,” he says. “I think stuff like equality feels much more fundamental. I feel like everyone is equal. That doesn’t feel like politics to me.”
While LGBTQ rights should be fundamental, as every human deserves equal treatment regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation, it shouldn't be overlooked that human rights have historically always been a political issue. For example, Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington was designed to show the political and social challenges black people faced. In 1968, George Wallace ran for President campaigning in favor of racial segregation. More recently, the Trump administration stripped civil rights from transgender people in schools.
Harry's recent statements echo a similar thought he expressed in his Rolling Stone cover story, where he said, “Most of the stuff that hurts me about what‘s going on at the moment is not politics, it’s fundamentals. Equal rights. For everyone, all races, sexes, everything.” While Harry's remarks are certainly true in an ideal world, they are not a reality, and an important part of being an ally is knowing when to speak up for what's right — whether that's political or not.
We've reached out to Harry's rep for comment.
