5 Artists Who Are Challenging Gender Boundaries In Their Careers - From Harry Styles to Miley Cyrus
27 May 2021, 17:02 | Updated: 27 May 2021, 17:10
These artists are speaking out on gender norms and how we can challenge them, from Harry Styles to Miley Cyrus.
These celebs are pushing the boundaries of gender! The likes of Harry Styles, Billy Porter and Miley Cyrus are getting candid about why we don't need gender norms.
It's so important for us to feel as though we can freely express our identities, these artists are deconstructing the rigid concept that gender is a binary.
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Check out how these creatives are pushing forward...
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Harry Styles
Harry Styles caught the attention of the masses when he graced the cover of Vogue in November of last year sporting a selection of ‘feminine' ensembles.
The 'Watermelon Sugar' singer made history as the first solo male to ever don the cover of American Vogue, despite the publication running for a whopping 127 years.
The star mixed both traditionally male and female styles during the editorial shoot, showcasing a striking combination of the two on the cover with a light blue Gucci gown paired with a blazer.
Harry has long been vocal about how clothing has no gender, he reiterated this in his interview with Vogue: "When you take away 'there's clothes for men and there's clothes for women,' once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play.
"It's like anything - anytime you're putting barriers up in your own life you're just limiting yourself.
"There's so much joy to be had in playing with clothes."
Billy Porter
Bill Porter constantly thinks beyond the boundaries of the binary, setting an example to fans of his work.
The actor and singer consistently exceeds expectations with his red carpet looks, refusing to appease gender norms with his show-stopping outfits.
Porter is set to play the genderless Fairy Godmother in the newest live-action iteration of Cinderella, the flick which features Camila Cabello as the titular character is set to hit cinemas later this year.
In an interview with CBS News, Porter spoke on the role's significance: "It hit me when I was on set, how profound it is that I am playing the Fairy Godmother."
The upcoming movie marks the first time the role has ever been portrayed as non-binary.
The actor continued with an impactful statement: "Magic has no gender."
Tommy Dorfman
Tommy Dorfman is a gender-nonconforming actor who has been candid throughout their career about the struggles they have faced surrounding identity.
The 13 Reasons Why actor collaborated with Calvin Klein to talk about the importance of being true to one's self, they said: "Coming out as non-binary for me has been a journey."
Tommy Dorfman is #PROUDINMYCALVINS | CALVIN KLEIN
The actor then went on to speak about how they began to merge the two sides of themself: "Ever since I was a kid I always felt like I identified with being a girl more. As puberty came in I started identifying with being more masculine.
"Even using they/them pronouns is something that I've only started to ask people to do in the last year."
Tommy spoke about the importance of pronoun correction and not feeling bad about being vocal with how you want to be addressed.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has become an advocate for sexuality, gender and acceptance throughout her career, challenging the societal norms we have in place around being male and female.
In 2015 she began an #InstaPride campaign where she used her platform to highlight gender-expansive stories of others, the project was hosted by the Happy Hippie Foundation, a cause the star founded
Miley spoke to Time about how she identifies: "I'm just equal. I’m just even.
"It has nothing to do with any parts of me or how I dress or how I look. It’s literally just how I feel."
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