Culture

Billy Porter tells Oscars tuxedo gown critics: ‘You don’t have to look’

Feb 28 2019
Written by PinkNews Staff Writer

Picture of Billy Porter in tuxedo gown worn at Oscars.

Billy Porter’s tuxedo gown designed by Christian Siriano. (Christian Siriano/Twitter)

Pose and American Horror Story star Billy Porter has a defiant response to people criticising his show-stopping tuxedo gown at the Oscars on Sunday (February 24): Mind your own business.

“If you don’t like it, go somewhere else. You don’t have to look. It’s not about you. I don’t understand why my putting on a dress causes this much strife in your life,” Porter told the Associated Press.

Porter added: “The comments are not my business. What people think about what I’m doing is not my business. I lived that already.

“I’m inside of my authenticity and the whole point is that you have to respect me as much as I respect you.”

Billy Porter’s tux gown stole the show at Oscars

The Tony Award-winning actor wore a floor-length black tuxedo gown on the red carpet at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.

The outfit was designed by Christian Siriano and Porter said he wanted to make a political statement about masculinity—particularly black masculinity—with his look.

“It goes all the way back to the earliest of emasculations, which is slavery, so the only way to sort of overcome that is to be the strongest and the most masculine and the most powerful and now, [that] has become toxic. And I don’t think it’s just black people. I think it’s men in general. Every ethnicity has their version of it,” said Porter.

Billy Porter at Oscars 2019 in a tux dress.

Billy Porter attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Billy Porter twirling on his haters

Porter, who is openly gay, not only turned heads on the Oscars red carpet, but a picture shared by Christian Siriano has only added to the burgeoning legacy of his outfit.