Culture

Harry Styles waves transgender flag during Washington DC concert

  • Oct 17 2017
  • Written by Nick Duffy
LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 22: Harry Styles performs onstage during the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 22, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

Styles wows another crowd (Kevin Winter/Getty)

Former One Direction star Harry Styles made a subtle jab at Trump during his Washington DC concert – by waving a transgender flag.

The ex-1D singer recently kicked off the first leg of his worldwide solo tour, following the release of his first album earlier this year.

During many of the concerts the singer has waved a rainbow flag, draping it over his mic stand and featuring it prominently onstage.

But at his show at Washington DC’s DAR Constitution Hall, Styles made a different gesture.

In the shadow of the White House, the singer was thrown a transgender pride flag by a member of the audience.

Styles waved the flag on-stage – alongside an Puerto Rican flag.

The symbology was not lost on the crowd, given President Trump’s much-criticised stances on Puerto Rico and transgender issues.

Trump has banned transgender people from serving the US Armed Forces, while his Attorney General Jeff Sessions has worked over the past few weeks to undermine discrimination protections for LGBT people across the federal government.

Styles also waved the trans flag and a bi pride flag at his show in New York City last month.

One fan explained on Twitter that a young transgender fan had brought the trans flag to the NYC show.

When Styles spotted it in the crowd he came over and picked it up, which the fan said was “one of the most heartwarming moments of my life”.

Styles spoke about his sexuality earlier this year.

He said: “It’s weird for me – everyone should just be who they want to be.

“It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.”

He praised Wrecking Ball singer Miley Cyrus for coming out as pansexual, saying: “Being in a creative field, it’s important to be progressive. People doing stuff like that is great.”

But Styles said he would not be joining her in defining his sexuality.

Asked if he has ever labelled himself, he said: “No, I’ve never felt the need to really. No.

“I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself.”

Before the band’s break-up, there were tensions inside One Direction when fans persistently theorised that Styles was in a relationship with fellow singer Louis Tomlinson.

Tomlinson recently addressed the rumours, saying they are “disrespectful” to his girlfriend.

He told the Sun: “It kind of happened naturally for me and Harry because a certain amount of the fans drew up this conspiracy. When it first came around I was with Eleanor, and it actually felt a little bit disrespectful to [her].

“I’m so protective over things like that, about the people I love. So it created this atmosphere between the two of us where everyone was looking into everything we did.

“It took away the vibe you get off anyone. It made everything a little bit more unapproachable. I think [what’s happened since] shows that it was never anything ‘real’ if I can use that word.”

(Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

Ex-bandmate Liam Payne previously admitted the gay relationship rumours drove him “insane”.

Styles has long been an enthusiastic advocate for the LGBT community.

In 2014, he showed his support for out NFL star Michael Sam while performing at a One Direction concert, by wearing the American football player’s St Louis Rams jersey.

Earlier this year, he said on French TV that LGBT rights were fundamental, not political.

“Stuff like equality feels much more fundamental,” he said. “I feel like everyone is equal.

“That doesn’t feel like politics to me.”

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