In a world where kindness seems like a rare quality and everyone could use a little more love, Harry Styles exists and makes the world more colorful – for all of us.
Harry Styles has been called many things since he was first stood upon The X – Factor stage over five years ago. He didn’t realize it then, but in that moment he was laying the ground work to change not only his own life, but the lives of millions of people across the world. Harry rose to stardom as a member of One Direction, and while his voice is absolutely incredible – what makes his fans love him most is the way he uses his celebrity to enhance the lives of others.
Harry said in an interview, early on, that he didn’t like the word famous because
“I feel like, when people label people as famous they take away a lot of substance that they have as a person. So that you don’t remember some one as: he was funny or they were really nice and giving it’s like: they were famous. Then it becomes a thing where anything after that, whatever you choose to do afterwards, if it’s not as famous or more famous as it was before, it’s considered a failure. And that’s a shame, because it’s not a failure always.”
We think Harry encompasses a lot more than what the definition for famous is; he surpassed superstar, and he is certainly more than just an incredible vocalist – Harry is an inspiration, a light, and a show of hope and confidence for many fans who need it. From showing kindness to fans he meets on the street to donating time, money, and spirit to a number of charities, Harry has set the standard for young people who are in a place of circumstance. He not only uses his voice to sell records, he uses it to support equality, to push for change, and to spread love.
Harry Styles has become an icon for LGBTQ+ youth, making One Direction concerts a safe place for all fans to coexist. Harry has spoken openly in person and on social media about the need for social change where matters of equality are concerned. He supported America as all love and marriage were declared legal in 2015 and even tweeted out against the WBC when they rallied at a One Direction concert. Instead of being angry that people were so disrespectful, he instead said all company was welcome at One Direction concerts. He’s said on stage and on his twitter account that love is love and it’s important to be nice and that the only job he thinks fans have is to enjoy who they are and be entertained by the lads.
What a guy.
It’s not just young people or One Direction fans that Harry supports. On stage in Missouri in 2014 Harry wore a Michael Sam jersey in support of the openly gay athlete who became the first to be drafted in the NFL. During the week before One Direction’s performance there were some comments made about Sam that were later apologized for and it was a testament to who Harry is to see him on stage in support of Sam’s career.
In an interview in 2014 Harry made a statement, “not that important” that inspired the general public to look at who he carried himself as closer, and see if what’s been said about him in the media is as true as it’s claimed to be. Harry’s statement came after an interviewer asked what the most important quality in a woman was where Liam Payne replied, female. Not that important became a quote to live by for One Direction fans. It meant that regardless of what you were labeled, it truly wasn’t that important – as long as the way you lived made yourself happy.
Harry is a show of happiness. He’s gone from a boy who was scared he’d never be someone that could live freely – saying in an interview that he wanted to be someone who didn’t care what other people thought, but he just wasn’t – to being someone who drapes himself in rainbow flags, wears half unbuttoned sheer shirts, dances freely and sings passionately every moment he can. Harry doesn’t care if what he says or how he acts could be portrayed as “feminine” nor does he claim a sexuality, opting instead for using terms like “person” when discussing a romantic partner instead of she or he. Harry encourages people who look up to them to follow suit, not to aim to live like he does for selfish gain or an ego boost, but to set the world up to be a more kind, understanding, and beautiful place for everyone.
Harry’s heart of gold extends well beyond the fandom and provides the world with more light, just because he exists in it. No matter who meets Harry; fan or other celebrity, everyone has only kind and wonderful things to say about who he is. He impresses every person who crosses his path. He has donated to countless charities and pushed for better living conditions and the ability to get an education for everyone across the world – placing importance on the ability of youth to be able to not only better themselves, but better the world in which they live.
So thank you Harry for living your life as freely as you can, and inspiring your fans to do the same. Thank you for opening doors, minds, and hearts just by existing so kindly and making the world an easier place for your fans to live in. Thank you for giving safety to people who don’t get that feeling anywhere else in the world except when they’re at your concerts or listening to your music. Thank you for making us all pay less attention to what’s on the outside and more attention to what’s on the inside of the people we encounter.
Thank you for dancing, for your corny jokes, for interacting with the crowd at your concerts. Thank you for the times you stop for fans, even after you’re tired, for the times you’ve seen fans so nervous and afraid near you that they begin to have a hard time and offering them comfort and support. Thank you for understanding that sometimes people don’t have much happiness in their lives, outside of One Direction, and for making those people feel important, rather than silly, for enjoying who you are so much.
Thank you for your passion, your creativity, your understanding, and for the way you somehow spread all of that to every person who comes across you, be it for a moment or a couple of hours. You allow people to believe that life gets better and you provide them with hope that they can change the world if they just believe in themselves enough to try.
But more importantly than any of that, thank you for love, the love that you inspire and the love that you support. Thank you for saying that all love is equal and welcome and worth fighting for. Thank you for believing that who you love is less important than how you love and that if you love with the right intentions that’s all that truly matters.
“Do whatever makes you happiest in the world” today Harry, you deserve it. Happy Birthday and thank you for being a vision in rainbow.