Taylor Swift pens letter to Tennessee senator, urges more LGBTQ protections and support for the Equality Act
Taylor Swift wrote a letter to Senator Lamar Alexander, from her home state of Tennessee, ahead of Pride Month in June. The letter urged him to consider increased protections for the LGBTQ community and to support the Equality Act. On Friday night, she shared the letter on Twitter.
"I'm writing to you today in anticipation of a very important vote coming up," Swift wrote. "As you know, the House just passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in the workplace, in their homes and in schools. For American citizens to be denied jobs or housing based on who they love or how they identify, in my opinion in un-American and cruel."
She continued, "The refusal in our own State's legislature to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination has the serious potential to cripple us from bringing new jobs to Tennessee." She also acknowledged the numerous companies who signed open letters to Tennessee lawmakers opposing the anti-LGBTQ 'Slate of Hate' legislature.
"I personally reject this President's stance that his administration 'supports equal treatment of all,' but that the Equality Act, 'in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to determine parental and conscience rights.'"
"No one cannot take the position that one supports a community while condemning it in the next breath as going against "conscience" or "parental rights". She continued, "That statement implies that there is something morally wrong with you being anything other than heterosexual or cisgender, which is an incredibly harmful letter to send to a nation full of healthy and loving families with same-sex, non-binary or transgender parents, sons or daughters."
"Please, please think about the lives you could change for better if you were to vote to support the Equality Act in the Senate and prohibit this harsh and unfair discrimination."
The singer is not one to back down and in order to show full support to the cause, Swift made a donation to the GLAAD advocacy group - she has been a longtime supporter. "Taylor Swift continues to use her platform to speak out against discrimination and create a world where everyone can live the life they love. GLAAD is so so thankful for her donation to support our advocacy efforts and for her ongoing work to speak out for what is fair, just, and LGBTQ inclusive," said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President.
"In today's divisive political and cultural climate, we need more allies like Taylor, who send positive and uplifting messages to LGBTQ people everywhere."