Harry Styles Opens Up About His Sexuality

Noah Michelson
Updated

Harry Styles has a new album out and along with it comes many, many interviews featuring many, many questions about his storied personal life.

While the former One Direction heartthrob, who just released his first solo album, the self-titled “Harry Styles,” doesn’t appear to want to chat about his former girlfriends (including Taylor Swift), he did recently offer his thoughts about Miley Cyrus identifying as pansexual and his own sexuality.

In an interview with The Sun’s Dan Wootton, Styles celebrated Cyrus’ openness about her sexuality.

“Being in a creative field, it’s important to be ­progressive,” he said. “People doing stuff like that is great.”

He added: “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.”

As far as his own sexuality is concerned, Styles says he’s “never felt the need” to use a label.

“I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself,” he told Wootton, before taking the stage in North London at his first-ever solo show.

This news probably won’t surprise diehard fans, some of whom believed he was in a secret relationship with band mate Louis Tomlinson and others who have been trying to pin down his exact sexuality for years.

In 2013, the 23-year-old singer addressed rumors that he was dating TV and radio host Nick Grimshaw in an interview with British GQ.

When asked point-blank if he identified as bisexual, Styles told the magazine, “Bisexual? Me? I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I’m not.”

A year later Styles faced more rumors after appearing on “On Demand Entertainment” with band mate Liam Payne. When the pair was asked about their favorite traits in a woman, Payne responded, “Female, that’s a good trait.” Styles shot back, “Not that important” ― which, predictably, sent the internet into hysterics.

Regardless of how Styles does or doesn’t identify, his approach is as trendy as ever. A recent YouGov survey found 43 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 viewed themselves as something other than completely straight. What’s more, the poll found that “people of all generations now accept the idea that sexual orientation exists along a continuum rather than a binary choice,” with 60 percent of heterosexuals and 73 percent of gay people supporting this idea.

“I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself." (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)
“I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself." (Photo: NBC via Getty Images)

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Asexual

An asexual is &ldquo;<a href="http://www.asexuality.org/home/?q=general.html">someone who does not experience sexual attraction</a>.&rdquo; Asexuality.org&nbsp;also notes, "Asexuals may regard other people as aesthetically attractive without feeling sexual attraction to them. Some asexual people also experience the desire of being affectionate to other people without it being sexual. If you do not experience sexual attraction, you might identify as asexual."

Aromantic

"An <a href="http://www.asexuality.org/wiki/index.php?title=Aromantic">aromantic is a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction&nbsp;to others</a>,&rdquo; according to Asexuality.org. The site also notes that &ldquo;aromantics do not lack emotional/personal connection, but simply have no instinctual need to develop connections of a romantic nature. Aromantics can have needs for just as much empathetic support as romantics, but these needs can be fulfilled in a platonic way.&rdquo; Being aromantic is usually &ldquo;<a href="http://www.asexuality.org/wiki/index.php?title=Aromantic">considered to be innate and not a personal choice</a>,&rdquo; in the same way that asexuality is considered innate.

Graysexual

Jared, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-man-identifies-as-graysexual-heres-what-that-means_55eedd48e4b002d5c07682c5">one man who identifies as graysexual</a>, defines the term as a "magical place between asexual and someone who is sexual." <a href="http://www.thefrisky.com/2011-11-22/what-it-means-to-be-gray-sexual/">The Frisky defines it as</a> "something more fluid between sexuality and asexuality." Those who identify as graysexual might also identify as gay or straight or any other sexual identity inside or outside of&nbsp;the binary.

Demisexual

Someone who identifies as demisexual doesn&rsquo;t typically feel sexual attraction unless they &ldquo;have already formed a strong emotional bond with the person.&rdquo; <a href="http://www.asexualityarchive.com/glossary/">Asexualityarchive.com</a>&nbsp;also&nbsp;notes that &ldquo;the bond may or may not be romantic in nature.&rdquo;

Demiromantic

Similar to a demisexual, the individual doesn&rsquo;t feel romantic attraction &ldquo;unless they have already formed a <a href="http://www.asexualityarchive.com/glossary/">strong emotional bond</a> with the person.&rdquo;

Lithromantic

According to <a href="http://www.asexuality.org/wiki/index.php?title=Lithromantic">asexuality.org</a>, the term is&nbsp;described as &ldquo;a person who experiences romantic love but does not want their feelings to be reciprocated.&rdquo; The site also notes that lithromantic people &ldquo;may or may not be ok with romantic relationships.&rdquo;

Pansexual

Pansexual refers to those &ldquo;who feel they are sexually/emotionally/spiritually capable of <a href="http://www.stop-homophobia.com/pansexuality.htm">falling in love with all genders.</a>&rdquo;
Pansexual refers to those “who feel they are sexually/emotionally/spiritually capable of falling in love with all genders.”

Polysexual

Similar to pansexual, a polysexual person &ldquo;may be attracted to some gender variant people but <a href="http://www.stop-homophobia.com/pansexuality.htm">not have the capability or desire to be with some others.</a>&rdquo;

Panromantic

A person who is <a href="http://asexualeducation.tumblr.com/post/17396323058/biromantic-heteromantic-homoromantic">romantically</a>&nbsp;-- but not sexually --&nbsp;attracted to others regardless of sex or gender.
A person who is romantically -- but not sexually -- attracted to others regardless of sex or gender.

Skoliosexual

According to <a href="http://genderqueerid.com/post/16339992032/skoliosexual-adj">Genderqueerid.com</a>, skoliosexual refers to &ldquo;sexual attraction to non-binary identified individuals" or those who do not identify as <a href="http://time.com/3636430/cisgender-definition/">cisgender</a>. The site also notes that &ldquo;this does not generally describe an attraction to specific genitalia or birth assignments but rather is an inclusive term.&rdquo;

Queerplatonic Relationships

Relationships that &ldquo;are not romantic in nature but they involve <a href="https://lgbtq.unc.edu/asexuality-attraction-and-romantic-orientation">very close emotional connections</a> that are often deeper or more intense than what is traditionally considered a friendship.&rdquo;

Zucchini

The name for a partner who is involved&nbsp;in a queerplatonic relationship, as in "he's my zucchini."
The name for a partner who is involved in a queerplatonic relationship, as in "he's my zucchini."

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.