Conservatives Up in Arms Over Kristen Stewart’s Rolling Stone Photoshoot

Since 2012, Kristen Stewart, the renowned actor, has been a prominent figure in the public eye, particularly after a series of controversial tweets by then-businessman Donald Trump. Stewart recently came out as gay, shedding her former image from the Twilight saga to become a notable queer icon in Hollywood.

However, Stewart’s latest photoshoot with Rolling Stone, which featured masculine fashion elements, has sparked outrage among conservative circles who view such displays as attempts to influence younger generations towards non-heteronormative identities.

Ian Miles Cheong, a vocal critic of diversity and inclusion initiatives, condemned Stewart’s images as promoting an ‘ideology’ that he believes leads to people being unhappy. Others, like Oli London, expressed disgust over Rolling Stone’s portrayal of Stewart as they accused the publication of pushing queer and non-binary ideologies.

The online backlash also included conspiracy theories and hate speech directed towards Stewart and other celebrities like Elliott Page. Critics like Birdy Rose even speculated about Stewart ‘coming out as a man,’ drawing parallels to Page’s public journey.

Some voices, including those from the far-right, blamed Hollywood for shaping Stewart’s preferred appearance, pointing to past incidents involving the actor, including Trump’s remarks about her and co-star Robert Pattinson‘s relationship. The intense reactions to Stewart’s photoshoot highlight a deeper cultural divide regarding gender representation.

The backlash against Kristen Stewart’s Rolling Stone photoshoot reveals a wider societal discomfort with LGBTQ visibility in mainstream media, showing the ongoing struggles for acceptance and representation.