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30 YEARS OF

Out 100 logo

visible & vibrant

30 Years of Looking Back, Looking Forward.
The Out100 designates All That’s In.

1994 cover
cover 1995
cover 2002
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cover 2015
Janelle Monae cover
cover 2023
2003
Billy Porter
Out Exclusives

OUT100: Billy Porter, Performance of the Year

“I was so busy trying to fit in, and then it was like, You don’t fit in, and you ain’t supposed to fit in.”

It's rare to see an actor sustain a flawless performance through a two-hour film. On FX's Pose, as the electric ball emcee Pray Tell, Billy Porter did it through a season of eight one-hour episodes, segueing from clocking competitors on the year's fiercest runway to mourning the loss of his on-screen lover to AIDS to sharing tender chemistry with co-star and fellow Out100 honoree Mj Rodriguez -- all without a visible hint of effort. "It had to be Pose," Porter says between takes of this cover shoot, his first for Out. "And I had to be ready for it. I had to live through what I lived through."

Before creator Ryan Murphy called Porter about joining Pose in June 2017, the performer had just come off the previous TV pilot season un-cast, unfulfilled, and in the midst of what he calls a "breakdown."

"I was like, Is this gonna work out? Should I try something else? It's been 30 years now," Porter says. And while those 30 years have surely not been without highlights, his uphill climb suggests he's one of the more resilient stars in showbiz.

Porter was brought up in the Pentecostal church in Pittsburgh, came out as gay at 16, and says that "every bad thing that could happen happened" (that included bullying, condemnation by family, and -- as he revealed to Out.com in a crushing op-ed on October 31 -- childhood sexual abuse). One strength Porter always knew he had, though, was his singing voice, and in 1990, it brought him to New York City, where he landed his first theater role in the original cast of Miss Saigon.

And yet, while also studying acting at Carnegie Mellon, he faced new challenges. "I was pigeonholed into the only thing that the industry could handle at the time: the magical fairy f****t," Porter says. "Don't get me wrong: What I was given was an opportunity to stop the show, but when it came to my humanity, nobody wanted to discuss that."

Porter_billy_out100_101118_0078_fSpend an hour with Porter, and you'll see all the facets of him that also make up Pray Tell: the excitement, the anger, the pain, the gratitude, the irrepressible animation, and, most of all, the spirit. It was also in the '90s that Porter began to grasp his artistic integrity and what he wanted to give the world. As he reminisces he invokes philosophies snagged from Maya Angelou and Oprah. "How can I be of service?" he says. "What does that mean -- service -- in an industry that's inherently narcissistic? How do you do that? You look the motherfuckers in the face who say you have to hide, and you choose authenticity when it's not popular."


But that's not easy for a gay man of color who knows his unique gifts make him "very specific," and alternately too nuanced and too dynamic for the many drab roles he's been offered. It took more of the '90s and some of the 2000s -- when he was releasing some of his first music, eventually living in Los Angeles, and facing rejection while chasing standard notions of fame -- for Porter to really start living his truth. "I didn't even know I wasn't dreaming big enough," he says. "I was so busy trying to fit in, and then it was like, You don't fit in, and you ain't supposed to fit in."

Porter moved back to New York in 2002 "with a new kind of creative identity," writing and directing plays before finding the first two roles in which he actually saw something of himself. One was as Belize in Broadway's 2010 revival of Angels in America; the other was as drag queen Lola in the original run of Kinky Boots -- a role for which he refused to creatively compromise, and one that won him a Tony in 2013. "And this is the service part," Porter says. "Somebody needed me to stand on that stage as a black, out, gay actor, who took every hit that comes with that kind of life, to stand triumphant and be rewarded for making the right decision."

Porter_billy_out100_101118_1310_fHe pauses, muses some more, then later says, "So, the journey to what you're responding to in Pose is all of that. That whole life." Porter praises Murphy as a creative who "understands theater people, and the forgotten person," and Porter, now 49, had long identified as both. He was originally asked to play the dance teacher on the show, and respectfully took the audition but advised it wasn't the best use of his skills. It was then that Murphy wrote Pray Tell for Porter -- a part that has him matching wits with ball consultants like Jack Mizrahi and Twiggy Pucci Garcon, paying tribute to the friends he lost to AIDS in the '90s, and being as "specific" as he wants.


"What I love about being the age I am, and having been in the business for so long," he says, "is that I get to show up, and I don't have to prove that I'm worthy or deserving. It's like, Can he act? That question was on the table for a long time. Today, it's nice, and I'm trying to breathe into it. How am I happy for myself while the world is falling apart? I'm trying to find that balance and lean into the joy while simultaneously going out and fighting every day."

Photography by Martin Schoeller.
Styling by Brandon Garr.
Styling assistant: Kerene Graham.
Groomer: LaSonya Gunter.
Photographed at Schoeller Studio, New York City
Coat by Christian Siriano.
Sweater and pants by Mr. Turk.
Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti.

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Amiri; Louis Vuitton; Prada
​Amiri, Louis Vuitton, Prada
Amiri; Louis Vuitton; Prada
Out Exclusives

Faux Fur! Velvet! Chocolate! See 2025's hottest menswear trends

Here are the menswear looks catching fire from Paris Fashion Week 2025.


How Dreadful

Egonlab

Egonlab

Egonlab

The Komondor, popularly known as the “mop dog,” was trending on the runways of Paris’s très cool designers this season. Dreaded wool pieces at Hed Mayner came in oversized coats with an almost fringe-like pattern to them. The dreads also showed up in a pair joining the coat. At Egonlab, the dreaded wool was taken in a more romantic goth route with a long white sweater with an exaggerated dread neckline and bell sleeves, which was echoed in another look attached to a fine black overcoat. Never to be outdone, Acne Studios also presented an XL dreaded wool coat with a high neck and extra long sleeves that would keep you warm during the freezing winter months.

It's Chocolate!

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton

You’ll definitely want this color to melt in your mouth and not in your hands. With no putrid puns intended, several designers sent out monochromatic light brown looks that looked quite delectable. We can thank Bottega Veneta for bringing dark chocolate back to the runway a couple of seasons and designers ago, but the milky version has us wanting more. Award-winning designer Bianca Saunders opened her show with a milk chocolate leather jacket and waxed trousers. Sacai sent out two full utilitarian looks down the runway, while Louis Vuitton sent down a brown Damier checkerboard print suit complete with pink motifs. Dries Van Noten showcased a scrumptious overcoat, and Zegna sent the chicest chocolate overcoat complete with a matching scarf and trousers.

Seeing Spots

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton

The leopard print is a tough fabric to confidently wear, even as a supplementary layer, but as outerwear – now that is a statement! Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana sent down leopard overcoats in tailored and oversized silhouettes, respectively. What bonds these two looks is the toned-down styling underneath – the casual denim with white tee (and a gold chain) plays down the strong leopard print and gives it a more accessible feel, whereas the white shirt/black tie styling plays it up, but doesn’t clash with the print. The new Lanvin (now helmed by the legendary ex-Nina Ricci designer, Peter Copping) show featured an oversized leopard coat paired with grey denim. MSGM and No. 21 (Numero Ventuno) decided to up the ante by a millimeter by combining the look with a blue shirt and khaki shorts/trousers. I’m telling you – subtle styling is the way to go when pairing with such loud outerwear!

Fur Sure

\u200bPrada

Prada

Prada

You know those vintage fur shawls in the thrift shops that you always overlook? Well, maybe take a second look (and a pair of scissors to it), because it seems that menswear is really leaning into the fur pelts that were seen on the runways of Milan and Paris’s biggest menswear shows. Although a bit more deconstructed than your grandmother’s shawl of yesteryear, the pelt acts almost like a rug thrown over your shoulders. The trend began with the latest Prada show, where pelts were draped over wool coats and sleeveless padded bubble vests. It appeared in a more refined look on the runway of Emporio Armani and then made its way to the Paris shows, where Sacai offered a more luxe utilitarian approach to the styling. David Koma went old school, albeit maximalist, throwing a superfluous amount of faux fur over a grey sweatsuit (honestly, my favorite version). Not to ever be outdone, Saint Laurent’s American Psycho suit styling included a pelt or two toward the end of its show. If you live in New York or L.A. (or have a fabulous fabric store near you), then just head over to the faux fur section, grab a couple of yards, and throw it over your shoulders – because she’s trending, honey.

Velvet Crush

Amiri

Amiri

Amiri

I have always been obsessed with velvet — so I am always excited to see the return of velvet suiting on the runway. In Milan, Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani sent out the most luxurious fabrics. At Emporio, velvet came out in olive pinstripe, gold pinstripe, black pinstripe, and even a sultry chocolate velvet trouser! In contrast, Giorgio Armani sent out a relaxed but shockingly vibrant blue suit with matching blue velvet sneakers. At Amiri, velvet was sent out in the form of casual jackets, blazers, and even a brown pinstripe suit. The showstopper though, was the finale look — a black velvet suit with gorgeously painted red, gold, and pale lilac roses throughout. Epic. And then my heart melted on the floor of a cathedral, in Paris this time, when Willy Chavarria sent out a slew of brightly hued, strong-shouldered crushed-velvet suits complete with matching brooches. Heaven.

This article is part of the Out March/April issue, which hit newsstands April 1. Support queer media and subscribe— or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting March 20.

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