Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is defending Harry Styles amid backlash that erupted after he wore a dress for the cover of Vogue. The pop star came underfire last week for his choice of outfit, with many of his critics being prominent conservatives, but Ocasio-Cortez was quick to praise Styles for his boldness.
"It looks wonderful," the Democrat lawmaker wrote on Instagram Stories cited by CNN. "The masculine and feminine elements are balanced beautifully."
Among those who voiced their disapproval last week were Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro, who both felt that Styles wearing a dress was feminizing men.
"There is no society that can survive without strong men," Owens tweeted. "The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack."
In a lengthy thread, Shapiro echoed her sentiments.
"Pretending that men dressing like women does not feminize men is ridiculous, particularly coming from the same people who are celebrating Styles BECAUSE he is feminizing masculinity," he noted.
"Anyone who pretends that it is not a referendum on masculinity for men to don floofy dresses is treating you as a full-on idiot."
Ocasio-Cortez said she felt people were getting upset because they were too sensitive to examine and explore gender roles in society.
"Perhaps for some people it provokes some anger or insecurity around masculinity/femininity/etc", she continued in her Instagram story. "If it does, then maybe that's part of the point. Sit with that reaction and think about it, examine it, explore it, engage it, and grow with it."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.