Pride Month 2020: How Taylor Swift broke her political silence and became a supporter of the LGBTQ community
Being a celebrity in this day and age is not always easy. When it comes to art, as a rising musician or singer, you have to take the negative along with the positive as a platform to learn as your fanbase grows and music evolves. Some artistes have let criticism destroy their careers while others have channeled their pains as motivation to adapt and drive forward. As is the case with most celebrated artistes, your personal views and social-political stance are factored in as fans want to know exactly who is leading them while enjoying their music. But what can be said for artistes whose belief systems are altered or shall we say, enlightened, by the ever-changing social constructs of the modern world? Can we blame them if added beliefs are a deviation in focus from what made them famous, to begin with? Perhaps consistency has something to do with it.
Taylor Swift, a pop mega-star and now ally for the LGBTQIA++ community, is no stranger to harsh criticism. With over 133 million Instagram followers, having the record for the highest-grossing US tour of all-time, and distinction as the only artiste to have four consecutive albums sell over one million copies in the week of their debut, Swift’s social influence and musical success speaks for itself. With the massive success that came at the early stages of her career which had songs inclined to more heterosexual relationships and conservative country listeners, Swift's turn to Pride activism didn't sit well with many. That being said, Swift has been in headlines aplenty over her advocacy for the LGBTQIA++ community, especially since the release of her single 'You Need to Calm Down', which released in June last year. After the release of its official video, some have accused the singer of "queerbaiting" and performative allyship.
The 'You Need to Calm Down' music video featured some of the nation's most prominent queer celebrities and ended with a direct plea for her fans to sign a petition in support of the Equality Act, to protect LGBTQIA++ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools and other public accommodations. It followed a social media post in the lead-up to the 2018 midterms condemning Marsha Blackburn, the Republican senator for Tennessee, over her record on gay rights. In the years prior to her shift to advocacy, Swift had publicly supported the LGBTQIA++ community. Before marriage equality was even legal in all 50 states of the US, Swift included the pro-equality anthem, 'Welcome to New York' in her 2014 album '1989'. with lyrics such as “And you can want who you want. Boys and boys and girls and girls."
In an interview with Vogue in August 2019, Taylor Swift revealed that she was inspired to get vocal about LGBTQIA++ activism after she had a conversation with her friend, choreographer and 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' judge Todrick Hall (who also co-directed and featured in the 'You Need to Calm Down' video). “Maybe a year or two ago, Todrick and I are in the car, and he asked me, ‘What would you do if your son was gay?’” she said. “The fact that he had to ask me … shocked me and made me realize that I had not made my position clear enough or loud enough,” she noted. “If he was thinking that, I can’t imagine what my fans in the LGBTQ community might be thinking,” she continued, adding, “It was kind of devastating to realize that I hadn’t been publicly clear about that.”
Over the past few years, Swift has been using her social media platforms and enormous fanbase for social change. In October 2018, the songstress publicized her political views for the first time in an Instagram post endorsing Tennessee Democrat candidate Phil Bredesen over Blackburn. While acknowledging that she had been “reluctant to publicly voice [her] political opinions” in the past, Swift chose to raise awareness about Blackburn’s anti-LGBTQ record, and declared that she “believe[s] in the fight for LGBTQ rights and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is wrong.”
Swift is to be honored with the Vanguard Award at the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, originally slated to take place on April 16, in Los Angeles, but rescheduled for sometime later in the year due to the Covid-19 impact. The award celebrates Swift for using her platform to champion LGBTQIA++ acceptance. “From boldly standing up against anti-LGBTQ elected officials to shining attention on the urgent need to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination through the Equality Act, Taylor Swift proudly uses her unique ability to influence pop culture [and] to promote LGBTQ acceptance,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, adding, “In a time of political and cultural division, Taylor creates music that unites and calls on her massive fan following to speak up and call for change.”
Over the years, Swift has been well aware of her LGBTQIA++ fans and her new steadfast approach to the community doesn't necessarily make her beliefs less tangible or have less value. Decades ago, we probably wouldn't have thought we would have come this far, and just as it took time for people to better understand the LGBTQIA++ community, it took even fewer years for Swift to accept them as a huge part of her fandom.