I totally forgot that Billy Porter wore this magnificent gown to last year’s Academy Awards. The fact that it’s been sitting in his closet for a year… makes me question the size of his closet, honestly? Is he like Naomi Campbell, and he has to rent out a storage unit the size of an airplane hanger just for all of his fashion archives? Anyway, Mr. Billy Porter clearly wanted to wear his Oscar gown again, so he brought it out of storage for an appearance on Sesame Street. Which is fabulous! But of course all of those conservatives’ a–holes clenched, because how dare children be introduced to someone so fabulous? “Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be fabulous!” HOW DARE BILLY PORTER. So, anyway, Billy Porter had words for his critics:
Critics — including a state senator of Arkansas — tore into Billy Porter after the actor announced that he’ll be appearing on “Sesame Street” in the dress he wore to last year’s Oscars. The pol, Jason Rapert, raged to voters on Facebook, “Do you approve of your taxpayer dollars being used to promote the radical LGBTQ agenda?” A petition circulated to have the episode pulled and even accused the program of trying to “sexualize children using drag queens.”
But Porter told Page Six, “If you don’t like it, don’t watch it,” adding that he thinks it’s odd that people would even make the mental leap from his dress to “perverted demon sex.”
“Like, what about me singing with a penguin [on the show] has anything to do with what I’m doing in my bedroom?” the “Pose” star posed to us at L’Avenue at Saks, where he was hosting a party for the restaurant’s first anniversary. “The really interesting thing for me is that that’s what it’s all about when it comes to LGBTQ people — the first thing everyone wants to talk about is how we having sex.” He added, “Stay out of my bedroom and you will be fine — that is none of your business.”
I haven’t really made a study of this or anything, but from what I’ve seen, if you leave kids up to their own devices and let them make up their own minds about people, most kids accept drag queens and LGBTQ people at face value. Like, there really isn’t any built-in judgment unless they’ve heard that kind of pearl-clutching homophobia and bigotry at home, then they start to regurgitate it. And I would assume most children think drag queens are pretty princesses, and I would assume that most kids probably think Billy Porter looks amazing in his beautiful gowns. Anyway, Sesame Street stays groundbreaking, as always.
Photos courtesy of Instagram and WENN.
He’s the boss. He also made his own SOTU speech. I haven’t listened to it yet, but it’s sure to be 100% truer than the Orange lie-filled one.
We watch Sesame Street on the regular in my house, and I love this!!
So cool! Sesame Street still rocks even after all theses years.
That dress still slays!
Stunning! And good analogy, he is on a children’s show singing with a penguin….
and it’s not like he’s wearing some skimpy, flesh-baring thing. he’s completely covered, he’s just wearing a skirt. and he looks freakin’ AWESOME!
THIS: “The really interesting thing for me is that that’s what it’s all about when it comes to LGBTQ people — the first thing everyone wants to talk about is how we having sex.” it’s because the people who are so concerned about that are either A) not getting any of their own or B) obsesses about it because they want to try it themselves. CLOSET CASES!
kind of like that evangelical pastor who wants to sue the NFL, Shakira and JLo for offending his delicate sensibilities with the half time show. he was SO offended, even though he didn’t see it live, that he had to go back and watch the recording a couple of times. LOL These people are mad because these women gave them THE FEELS!
LOL, nothing that reveals internalized homophobia faster than when people can’t separate sex from the orientation equation, whether it’s overt or more subtle. It’s like when everyone jumped to defend Sesame Street issuing a decree that Bert and Ernie weren’t gay because something something we shouldn’t sexualize kids shows because lol gay people apparently just sit around f*cking all day rather than cuddling during a movie or sitting on a couch or buying groceries together. Those deviants can’t possibly just exist without sex!!
Those of us in the LGBTQ+ persuasion see right through you.
Yep. Just like the ones who automatically act as if a gay or bisexual person is ‘Damaged’ if you knew, suspected, or discussed your sexual orientation as a preteen/teen. Sexual gaslighting dressed up as a protection. Love the way he handled this.
Despite having kids that are 2 and 4 we dont really watch sesame street in my house. I’m going to actively seek this one out though.
That gown was exquisite, I’m glad its getting another outing. And Billy Porter is welcome to guest on every show as far as I’m concerned, he’s pure charisma
Cosign. Designer ID: Christian Siriano!
Oh, how I would love something from him.
Endless love for the class act that is Billy Porter.
This is the best outfit that has ever existed on the planet, bar none.
I love that he wore it to Sesame Street.
In the past few weeks, I got into an outright screaming match (I was doing most of the screaming tbh) with my 87 year old mother about a comment she made that liberal parents (I think she means celebrities) were allowing or encouraging their children to choose to be trans gender. This from a woman who had at least three siblings who were gay and lesbian (oh, but we can’t talk about that now because of the shame and all but one are dead so let’s put it back in the closet where it belongs right?). This woman has been watching WAY too much Faux Fake News. I couldn’t take it anymore and shouted her down about genetics NOT irresponsible, liberal parenting determining a human being’s gender and sexual determination. FFS
Apologies for the rant. Thank God for Sesame Street.
ETA – and thank God for Billy Porter, who always manages to handle these questions and conversations with common sense and without rising to the bait. Bless him.
On a side note, yesterday I finished the first season of Pose. (I’m late to the party.)
If you haven’t watched it yet, it is fabulous!
Sigh. Jesus wore a dress.
Julius Caesar wore a skirt.
And let’s not forget kilts (or even utilikilts)!
Honestly. Would people prefer they go naked?!
Now, where did I put my pearls? I must go clutch them!
I’m just happy to see this masterpiece of a a dress again. So so amazing.
It’s indeed a recurring theme with certain people. They are so overly obsessed about someone else’s sex life, it’s astounding. BTW is Sesame Street funded by tax dollar at all?
I don’t really have anything productive to add, but wanted an opportunity to say this is totally my favorite Oscar outfit of all time! It is an example of the exact right gown for the right person and he wears the f- out of it. I’m so excited that it was on Sesame Street. He looks amazing in that picture I love the combination of how fierce he is and how beautifully he poses and the backdrop of the steps of Sesame Street.
Love this gown. Pretty shocked it was in his closet and not in a museum or returned to the designer. Although I would keep it too. It’s too amazing to have one outing.
If I looked as fabulous as Billy does in that dress, I would find any excuse to wear it!
It’s funny isn’t it, how it’s always religious middle aged men who are so outraged about other people’s sexuality or gender?
My kids have outgrown Sesame Street (they’re 12 and 7 going on 17) but I always appreciated the diversity of guest stars they showed, the difficult topics they introduced in a kid-appropriate way, and the matter-of-fact way that the show presented a variety of viewpoints, cultures, situations, and families with respect and love. And BTW, kids who haven’t been raised with hate/homophobia would not give an F less about Billy’s dress other than to think it was pretty/cool/interesting. My daughter might ask, “why is he wearing a dress?” and my answer would be “because he likes it.” And she would say “oh. Okay!” and on to the next topic. I CANNOT with the idiot conservative “Christians” who think you can “turn” someone gay and act like being LGBTQ is a fate worse than death. Believe whatever narrow-minded idiocy you want to, people, but leave the rest of us out of it. I welcome any opportunity to talk to my kids about how diversity is a gift and to answer questions they may have about their world, and I really don’t understand people who don’t value those moments.
Billy Porter stole the movie Like a Boss, in my opinion. See it for his restaurant scene alone. He slayed!