Why Billy Porter's Latest Cover Is Historic

Why Billy Porter's Latest Cover Is Historic

By Jeena Sharma
Jan 09, 2020

Billy Porter has made history by becoming the first male celebrity to cover Allure. In this February edition, photographed by Ben Hassett, Porter turns ultra-glam looks, dripping in head-to-toe crystals, brightly hued tulle and supple leather.

The Art of Beauty issue sees the 50-year-old actor, known for his eccentric style choices, explore his relationship to fashion and beauty, adding that he wasn't always as free to express himself. As a child, his family deemed him "too flamboyant" and sent him into therapy.

"Flamboyance was a silencing mechanism for a long time with me," he tells the outlet. "Flamboyant was code for 'You're a f—t, and we don't want you. Flamboyant was a word that was used to marginalize me and pigeonhole me and keep me in a box. You get in the room, you give them flamboyant, and then they come back to you with, 'He's too flamboyant.' And that's when I started to want to murder people."

The Pose actor also discussed how cis-het men criticized him for "emasculating" them after wearing his iconic Christian Siriano gown to the 2019 Academy Awards.

Related | The Story Behind Billy Porter's Triumphant Oscars Gown

"I said, 'First of all if your masculinity is that weak, it should be attacked,'" he explains."Secondly, I didn't know I had that much power. But now that I do, you can expect I'll be wielding it every f—king chance I get. Every chance. It's a calling, it's a ministry, it's intentional. I know exactly what I'm here for. And that is power."

Speaking about the AIDS epidemic and the generation of people who died while being closeted, he added: "I'm a part of the first generation of gay men, ever, who gets to be out loud and proud in the world. My generation is the first. Bitches are scared. And they should be."

Photo via Instagram/Allure