24 February 2023 , 11:51
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Questions about celebrities and their sexuality have always existed, with fans wanting to know everything about the lives of the rich and famous. Social media has exacerbated this, as it often makes people feel like they have an all-access pass to their favourite celebrity's personal life.
Singer Adam Lambert is no stranger to this scrutiny, having faced homophobia throughout his career, but he has now spoken out in defence of fellow artist Harry Styles.
Styles' sexuality has been brought up time and time again, especially since the success of his latest album and acting ventures have thrust him further into the spotlight.
The As It Was singer has been repeatedly called out for 'queerbaiting' by refusing to label his sexuality, but Adam Lambert thinks this is "underestimating" the intelligence of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Harry Styles has been experimenting with more flamboyant outfits recently (Getty Images for Coachella)
Adam Lambert is well known for singing with the band Queen (Getty Images)'Queerbaiting' is a term used to refer to a TV or film character who is hinted to be not straight but never confirmed, in an attempt to not alienate conservative viewers but still appeal to LGBTQ+ audiences.
During recent red carpet events and throughout his tour, the former One Direction member has worn multiple androgynous looks that play with gender expectations. Some people say these outfits are 'queer-coded', meaning they use signifiers and stylings often seen in the LGBTQ+ community.
Styles has also openly championed the community by holding up pride flags when on stage, supported fans who come out and taken on gay roles as an actor.
However, Styles has refused to label anything about his own sexuality which has lead some fans to accuse him of exploiting the LGBTQ+ community for monetary gain.
Lambert, in an interview with the i, said: "I get the concern. But OK, so if you're a gay man and you like Harry Styles, do you like him because he has a rainbow flag on stage or because you like his songs? Is the rainbow flag not just icing on the cake?
"It's almost underestimating the intelligence of gay people to claim queerbaiting. We're not that gullible, are we?"
Styles' enjoys experimenting with fashion (Getty Images for The Recording A)
The former One Direction member has leaned in to clothes people say are 'queer-coded' (Getty Images for The Recording A)The term was originally reserved only for characters in shows and films, as a criticism of the lack of confirmed LGBTQ+ characters on screen. There is much debate online as to whether a real person can actually be 'queerbaiting', since this blurs the line between private and public.
Many fans support Styles in his right to not come out publicly and maintain that celebrities don't owe the public their sexuality just because they present a certain way.
Recently, Heartstopper's Kit Connor said he was "forced" to clarify his sexuality after people claiming to be fans of the show accused him of 'queerbaiting'.
The 18-year-old was dating a woman but had played a bisexual character in the show, angering viewers who then "pressured" him to out himself.
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Speaking in a video for GQ, Connor said: "The idea that you can tell someone's sexuality based on the way that they look, the way that they talk, the way that they walk, the way that they dress, is quite frankly ridiculous and it's really quite harmful."
Lambert, who came out publicly in 2009, added: "I think people just like to find things to b***h about."