In an effort to clear his name from previous accusations of homophobia, One Direction’s Liam Payne is featured on the front cover of the current issue of UK gay magazine Attitude. The boy-bander, who first came under fire for tweeting his support of antigay Duck Dynasty clan’s “family values” last year, expressed his disappointment in a one-on-one interview with the publication at the perception that he is homophobic.
“A lot of my friends are gay and I don’t think anything about it. I actually find it funny that being gay is still something that’s talked about as though it’s not natural. I mean, I don’t go around saying, ‘Oh, this guy is gay.’ I don’t make a big deal about it. I will just say, ‘This is my mate.’ My mates are my mates, regardless of their sexuality,” the One Directioner stated.
Unfortunately for Liam, his effort to do damage control has backfired since another comment he made during the interview about the recent appearance of gay pride flags at One Direction’s concerts seems to have gotten him in more hot water.
“When the [gay marriage] law changed in the U.S. there were loads of rainbow flags flying at our shows, but I think that was mainly because people think of the Louis and Harry thing, which is absolutely nuts and drives me insane,” Payne explained regarding the perception that his bandmates Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles are a couple.
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The backlash from 1D fans was immediate as many thought his comments were inconsiderate of the group’s queer fanbase causing Payne to respond by posting the following on Twitter:
It's funny I thought people appreciated honesty these days
— Liam (@LiamPayne) September 10, 2015
Can see people saying I'm playing 'the victim' I don't feel even 1% a victim at all I had a wonderful time doing the shoot …
— Liam (@LiamPayne) September 10, 2015
While Liam might be driven nuts by the gay pride flags that have been waving around at One Direction shows, Harry Styles is not one bit bothered. In fact, he has made it a point to don them as capes while performing onstage. Even after Payne’s interview became public knowledge, Styles continued to show his support for the LGBT movement at the group’s Boston show this past weekend.
I post so many of these but Harry with a rainbow flag is my life https://t.co/XMvzziMrpm
— møl (@mollyxhowe) September 13, 2015
Harry holding rainbow flags and talking about 'love is love' after Liam's interview is a blessing pic.twitter.com/EHO5oEj2ml
— ? Ni(all.) ? (@_hisdeepblueyes) September 13, 2015
Glücklich
Cue indignant outrage from people too old for bubble gum pop boy bands…..nnnnnnnnnnow.
Hector Pagan
Wow and he was my fave but really Liam that’s so ignorant of youð???
Kraig Fiero
Come out of the closet already
Aaron Brown
Douche
SpunkyBunks
Why do people accused of homophobia always declare that they have “gay” friends? How come you never see any of these gay friends defending them?
Kieru
I don’t understand this article.
The title makes it sound as though Liam is upset that people bring rainbow flags to his concerts; that the presences of these flags “Drives him insane”. The context of the article tells an entirely different story- that people continuing to believe that Louis and Harry are a couple is what drives him insane, and the presents of the flags are merely something he attributes to this misconception.
I understand the want for ‘clickbait’ titles… but the title and the article are seem to tell completely different stories.
Vince Ramrod
Another maroon. Harry’s the cool one anyway.
Will Moor
@Kieru: I really can’t agree with you here. Its the FLAGS that drive him insane as he very clearly stated because he stupidly attributes them to everyone wanting Harry and Louis to be a couple. He can’t imagine that it has anything to do with the joy of marriage equality being the law of the land in America.
Chuck Stevenson
STILL talking about him and this?
fristan
He can imagine though, that is his concern, he thought it was because of Harry and Louis, and right so, because most of these flags had “Larry” written on them. And the flags aren’t there to support a couple that most likely isn’t one, and therefore devalues the purpose.
broadshoulder
Sorry, but we’ve been observing One Direction since they appeared on X-Factor and no way are they homophobic…
Your headline is misleading…
Miguel Topete
Don’t think it’s the flags but the accusation of Harry and Louis being a couple that bothers him. Also might have something to do with the fact that his bae left the group
John Malin
Are we really supposed to care what this ignoramous thinks?
Xzamilio
Yeah, I can’t get on board this one. It’s a stupid thing to drive one insane — especially considering Liam is neither party in the Larry shipping nonsense — but “homophobic” is an extreme label to place on him. I guess after the Duck Dynasty nonsense, he has a target on his back. I guess he needs to remember that Twitter is not the format for nuance.
jayj150
So, some straight kid being annoyed by gay flags is a homophobe. But Republican transperson, serial divorcer, neglectful parent Jenner hypocritically and publicly criticizes gay marriage using the absurd and cynical argument of “traditionalism” and is hailed by GLAAD and this site as a hero of the community?. OK.
Captain Obvious
Reading these comments after reading the article and comments praising Tom Hardy for staying closeted and making mildly homophobic comments makes this all very hilarious.
I guess Liam is too brown skinned to get away with saying something dumb, better lose that tan if you wanna get away with saying something “the gays” don’t like.
Gary Hecklinger
He just wants a gay pride flag of his own!!!
Giancarlo85
@jayj150: Um, Jenner actually was roundly criticized in the community. Maybe you ought to pay a bit more attention.
As far as Liam Payne he’s marking himself into irrelevance. He showed his ignorance by stupidly supporting the Duck Dynasty idiots.
Alexis Barros
I think he was mostly referring to people thinking of Harry and Louis as like a couple that drives him insane not the actual flags. But the gay community seems to be offended by everything now. Such a group of whiny pussies now.
Magnus
I kind of wish Liam Payne had decided to leave “One Direction” instead of Zayn Malik. Liam seems like the most obnoxious and pretentious of the group. I’m hoping one day Harry Styles will have a solo career, that would be uber awesome to see. I think it would be similar to when the “Jonas Brothers” broke up and Nick Jonas skyrocketed!
Bailey Bednar
gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy!
pikate
You clearly didn’t read the article cuz he did’t say any of this?
This article is so misleading writen by a tinhat maybe
Why don’t you clarify why he really mean?? larry bullshit makes him insane like everyone in 1d everyone there hates that especially Louis
pikate
@Hect@Hector Pagan: or Pagan: He dind’t say that this article is a lie
Peter McKinney
He’s tired of people saying he’s gay. So?
Darryl Cummings
Little boys and there flags.
Mercurical Memo
@Captain Obvious: High-five.
Xzamilio
@Captain Obvious: Not me!!! Nuh-uh!!! I was consistent in dismissing both stories. I was good, daddy!!! Can I get a cookie?? Pweeese???
Xzamilio
@Captain Obvious: Also, not challenging you, but I don’t know much about Hardy’s history of making homophobic statements, so is there anything on what he has said?
cakebytheocean
@Will Moor: If you knew anything about the 1D fandom and were able to go to a show, you’d know better. Every rainbow anything had something Louis/Harry related attached to it. These kids aren’t bringing these flags to shows to celebrate marriage equality, they’re doing it as a backhanded attampt to support a relationship which apparently doesn’t exist.
Arcamenel
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH HIM. The “shipping” thing is fine when it’s fictional characters and there is so little queer representation it’s nice to imagine your favorite chars of the same sex being romantically involved. However it’s so f*cking weird and creepy when real actual people are being “shipped”. Also please understand “shipping” two people is completely different than recognizing a bromance between two guys.
cakebytheocean
Okay so Liam expresses his support for our community and then says how he thinks it’s aggravating that fangirls are only bringing these signs and rainbows to shows to support Louis & Harry (they are) instead of to celebrate our community’s victory and it’s somehow bad?
I feel like everyone thinks Harry’s this gay right activist when, per fan reports, Louis Tomlinson had to correct Harry when Harry mislabeled a gay fan as straight. Louis also had to correct Harry for misgendering a trans fan as female when that fan identified as male. Someone sign me up for Team Louis since apparently he’s the only one allowing LGBT+ fans any agency.
cakebytheocean
@Magnus: Harry’s just as obnoxious and pretentious. And ugly as sin to boot. That boy’s face looks like it was run over by a truck and then glued to a matt of greasy hair. Liam might not like Larry shippers hijacking gay pride for their own gain but at least he’s not masquerading as our ally like Harry is.
Let’s focus on the real gay one. Louis. And also maybe Zayn.
Giancarlo85
This group had their time and fame… but they are done. And the departure of Zayn made them falter even further. Zayn was pretty much the most well liked one.
Noah Ayyash
Stop being such a faggot about it. lol
Chuck Cardillo
I hope gays stop going to their concerts.
SebastianM
@Kraig Fiero: Probably in a couple of years once his partner gets his solo career going.
Russell Howes
What a twat
Louis
Can this seriously stop?
Especially these foolish gay publications being naïve enough to believe that guys like this support our community in any capacity whatsoever?
Whatever happened to these magazines promoting celebrities and musicians and artists who actively try to help the LGBT community instead of this constant garbage about having gay friends?
Years ago I used to read of the celebs who would campaign for gay marriage and help aids charities and so on.
Nowadays though its interview after interview with people who make insulting and degrading comments about us and then laugh it off as JUST KIDDING all the time.
These people are not allies never have been never will be period.
This guy just continues to put his foot in his mouth and people keep lapping it up which is even sadder.
Bailey-Quin Taylor
And? I’m gay and I HATE seeing rainbow flags anywhere!
syphonuk
@Will Moor:
No, that isn’t at all what his quote says. This is piss poor journalism on the part this site and yet another example of click bait.
@Kieru:
Agreed. He quite clearly says that it’s the persistence of the Harry-Louis thing that drives him insane.
I might tweet this page to Liam and we’ll see how quickly the content changes.
Cam
@Arcamenel:
You seem waaaay to into this.
JessPH
The only ignorant and ugly one in the group.
ChgoReason
He didn’t say anything wrong. Calm your tits.
TheAngryFag
@ChgoReason: EXACTLY! He said that people insinuating that Harry and Louis are a gay couple drove him nuts. Do people not know how to read anymore?
Dev.C
It’s pretty stupid of him to presume that large amount of Pride flags at their concerts are because of Harry and Louis shipping, when considering that half their fan base is young gay men and boys ( as can be seen in the comments defending this ass hat).
I’m more annoyed with Attitude magazine for giving this little creep attention and putting him on the cover of a gay magazine, when he has little to no connection to the LGBT community other than his fans who drool over this fool.
crowebobby
@cakebytheocean: Of course you’re right and 100,000,000 fans, plus everyone in show-business, plus all of the press are wrong in claiming Harry is the only one who stands a chance of having a successful solo career because he’s the “cute” one. And, yes, I’m art of that 100,000,000 though I don’t listen to their music.
Stache99
@Captain Obvious: Do you ever see anything as “non rac*st”? It’s like your always looking for the rac*st persecution angle.
Stache99
Apparently, you can’t say raci*st with an “i” on this site.
Brian J Curtis
deuce bag
Stache99
Err…spell it out anyways. Lol
Stache99
@crowebobby: Boy band 101. One cute one who’s career will take off when the band dies. Some band will host small music award show’s or do a radio gig.
Stache99
Then in 20 years they’ll all come together again for a small comeback tour for middle aged women and some gay men to fawn over.
Louis
It’s so nice to know the Asinine and constantly predictable machismo bs comments continue on these articles endlessly on a loop.
If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen the whiner Pussy over sensitive too politically correct comments I’d be a millionaire period.
This continues to be a pathetic reality of this so called COMMUNITY so sick of these hypocritical and demeaning attitudes.
Ironic that the ones always talking about people being whiners and pussies and too easily offended are always the ones who are BEING OFFENSIVE hence why I used the word hypocritical.
Some people really need to get over themselves and their over inflated love for themselves.
Smh.
Avery Alvarez
Fortunately or unfortunately, I doubt Payne will be one to get a successful solo career. That one will be, as many others have pointed out, probably Harry Styles.