Billy Porter thinks there's a big problem with how we respond to men in dresses

"Men are strong, women are disgusting? I'm not doing that anymore."
By Rachel Thompson  on 
Billy Porter thinks there's a big problem with how we respond to men in dresses
Watch Next

Billy Porter has been the talk of the town this week after donning a showstopping dress-suit hybrid to the Tony Awards.

Fashioned out of the Kinky Boots curtain — yes, curtain — Porter's Tony's outfit featured a uterus motif as a statement about women's reproductive rights.

Speaking to Stephen Colbert, Porter talked about social views towards men who wear dresses — and what those views say about how society views women.

"We've moved beyond the idea that women wearing pants is a problem. Women wearing pants is powerful, it's strong, everybody accepts it, and it's associated with the patriarchy, it's associated with being male," Porter explained.

"The minute a man puts on a dress it's disgusting, so what are you saying? Men are strong, women are disgusting? I'm not doing that anymore.

"I'm done with that. I'm a man in a dress and if I feel like wearing a dress I'm gonna wear one."

An image of journalist and author Rachel Thompson on a pink backdrop. She has long brown hair and is wearing a light pink dress.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World will be published by Penguin Random House on Jan. 30, 2025. It is available for pre-order now.

Her first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021. Stylist magazine called Rough "2021's most important book about sex".

Based in the UK, Rachel has been writing about sex, dating, relationships, and digital culture for over a decade.


Latest Videos
How 'The War of the Rohirrim' connects to the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

'SNL' Weekend Update on Trump headlines and the Supreme Court's Broadway era
Colin Jost sits at the SNL Weekend Update desk.


Adam Sandler as a bloody surgery patient completely breaks 'SNL' cast
Chris Rock and SNL cast members Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim dressed as surgeons at an operating table.


The 'No Good Deed' cast reveals why communication is key to any successful relationship
By Mark Stetson and Warren Shaw
No Good Deed

How 'Nickel Boys' uses first-person to tell a crucial story from a different perspective
By Warren Shaw and Elijah Gil
Nickel Boys



Stephen Colbert reacts to Pornhub's Year in Review 2024
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!