LGBTQ

9 times Harry Styles made our queer little hearts go all aflutter

Harry Styles at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for HS)

This week, pop legend and occasional lesbian icon Harry Styles finally confirmed that his hit “Watermelon Sugar” is, indeed, about oral sex.

“The song is about – it doesn’t really matter what it’s about,” Styles said on 1 October while performing at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

The Fine Line singer continued: “It’s about, um, the sweetness of life! … It’s also about the female orgasm but that’s totally different, it’s not really relevant. So that settles that.”

Although it was pretty obvious to anyone who had a) watched the video for “Watermelon Sugar”, b) heard the lyrics or c) seen the many, many photos from the video of Harry dripping watermelon slices down his face, his announcement still caused something of a stir.

The reason for the stir is that, along with being unquestionably about oral sex and orgasms, “Watermelon Sugar” has also previously been claimed as a lesbian video.

Comments on its release ranged from “oh to be in Harry’s lesbian cult on the beach eating watermelon” and “the watermelon sugar music video felt like watching lesbian porn” to statements that are frankly too sexually graphic to repeat.

Put together with Harry’s own ambiguous sexuality and fluid gender presentation – recently described by bisexual icon and author Roxane Gay as “weirdly sexy” – the “Watermelon Sugar” oral sex revelation is fast becoming a moment.

So to honour it, here are nine other times that Harry “honorary lesbian” Styles made our queer hearts flutter.

1. When Harry Styles played a gay intern on Saturday Night Live

Harry Styles Saturday Night Live
Harry Styles on Saturday Night Live. (Screenshot)

The best part of this sketch was that Harry Styles played a gay character and the character’s sexuality wasn’t the joke.

The second-best part was hearing Harry Styles say “Getting railed to death” out loud.

2. Waving the bisexual Pride flag too many times to count

Harry Styles holds a bi Pride flag on stage
Harry Styles performed with a bi Pride flag during Bi Visibility Month. (Twitter/ callmebabyagain)

If a fan throws a bisexual flag on stage, Styles will drape it around himself or the microphone and keep singing. Those are the rules.

3. Waving the rainbow Pride flag too many times to count

Our lord and saviour Harry Styles holding an LGBT+ Pride flag. We need this injected into our veins right now. (Screen captures via Twitter)
Our lord and saviour Harry Styles holding an LGBT+ Pride flag. We need this injected into our veins right now. (Screen captures via Twitter)

Harry Styles postpones his 2020 Love On Tour due to coronavirus
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 21: Harry Styles holds rainbow flags as he performs onstage during Harry Styles: Live On Tour – New York at Madison Square Garden on June 21, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for HS)
Harry Styles with the Pride flag at one of his concerts (pukinghoran/twitter)

4. Waving the trans Pride flag too many times to count

Harry Styles and the trans Pride flag.
Harry Styles with a trans Pride flag. (Twitter/undergrowthrain)

On his first worldwide solo tour, Harry Styles was thrown a transgender pride flag by a member of the audience at his show in Washington DC.

He waved the flag on-stage – alongside an Puerto Rican flag – in the shadow of the White House, where then-president Donald Trump was being criticised for his stance on both trans people and Puerto Rico.

5. Releasing Fine Line in the colours of the trans Pride flag

Harry Styles’ Fine Line artwork. (Harry Styles)

On the basis of all available evidence, Fine Line said trans rights.

6. Harry Styles and gay sex scenes

Harry Styles
Styles poses for The 2021 GRAMMY Awards on March 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, Califnornia. (Getty/ Anthony Pham)

The singer-turned-actor reportedly was “throwing himself” into his new role filming gay sex scenes for his upcoming film My Policeman.

In April 2021, an “industry insider” insisted that Styles is “really excited about the challenge” of portraying a gay man in the 1950s, when homosexuality was criminalised in England.

The insider said he will shoot two sex scenes with co-star David Dawson, and he will also film a scene where he is naked on-screen by himself.

“Not much is going to be left to the imagination,” the insider said.

7. Swallowing cod sperm

Harry Styles with a mouthful of cod sperm
Styles with a mouthful of cod sperm. (CBS)

In December 2019, Styles came face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend Kendall Jenner while guest hosting Tuesday’s The Late Late Show.

The pair played a game of forfeits, with each having to choose between answering an awkward question or eating an unusual dish.

Jenner’s question for Styles was something she said she’d been “dying to know” the answer to.

“Which songs on your last album were about me?” the supermodel asked.

Rather than ‘fess up, he tucked a bib into his shirt and dug into a bowl of cod sperm (a Japanese delicacy).

8. Being totally outshone by Lizzo – and being fine with that

Styles and Lizzo perform together in Miami Beach during Super Bowl Week on January 30, 2020. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Just before the pandemic, Harry Styles made a surprise appearance at a Lizzo gig to sing her hit “Juice” onstage.

This followed a series of adorable public interactions between the two, which began when Styles covered “Juice” on the BBC Live Lounge.

Even for the most steadfast Styles stan, it’s incontrovertible that Lizzo is a superior vocalist. Harry surely knows this – and is fine with it.

9. Being alone and getting mugged on Valentine’s Day

Harry Styles was robbed at knifepoint on Valentine’s Day and had to run home, alone, in corduroy flares, because nobody would help him.

At least he’s friends with Lizzo now.

Lizzo and Harry Styles became the ultimate power couple at the Brits
Harry Styles and Lizzo at the Brit Awards 2020. (Twitter)