TAYLOR SWIFT’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

Grace Hasson

Taylor Swift wasn’t always the “You Need to Calm Down” LGBTQ+ ally she is now. Is she a wannabe gay icon? Maybe. Jumping on the Pride Capitalism train? Possibly. She was not vocal about politics in the past, but many people wonder if her support now makes up for that. After all, her support helps the community, especially for young members of the LGBTQ+ community who look up to her. For them, gaining her advocacy and approval may make them feel more secure. In addition, having a spokesperson with such an extensive influence helps to normalize the community and make acceptance practically “popular.”

In the past, Swift wasn’t at all politically vocal. In an interview for the September issue of Vogue Magazine, she said that she changed her stance because she felt compelled to stand for the community. During the interview, she took a strong stance by saying, “Rights are being stripped from basically everyone who isn’t a straight white cisgender male.” She took it upon herself to take her massive influence into consideration, and she began with a huge donation. She donated $113,000 to a group called the Tennessee Equality Project. This group advocates for the equal rights of LGBTQ people in Tennessee through legislative advocacy, meaning they lobby the Tennessee General Assembly and local governments. Swift said in her essay for Elle titled “30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30” that “I had to speak up to try and help make change.” Swift’s donation to a specific group that actively advocates for legislative changes is a statement in of itself that she is serious about not just support, but actual change.

Releasing “You Need to Calm Down” during Pride made it stream far more. This could easily be dismissed as a greedy tactic, so is Swift’s support genuine? In her interview with Vogue she discusses her realization that fans didn’t know of her support. She mentions that fellow singer Todrick Hall asked what she would do if she had a gay son. “If he was thinking that, I can’t imagine what my fans in the LGBTQ community might be thinking,” Swift admits. “It was kind of devastating to realise that I hadn’t been publicly clear about that.” She asserts that she was always in support, just didn’t make it clear.

Swift is one of the biggest artists out there. What impact do celebrities like Swift have on the LGBTQ+ community? Swift didn’t seem to realize that she could have such an impact, or that it was an option. She says in her interview with Vogue, “I didn’t realise until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of.” Maybe she should have known this, but her fans appreciate that she’s doing anything at all. Her release of “You Need to Calm Down” was certainly a way to uplift the community. Yet, it begs the question, is she taking the spotlight from LGBTQ+ artists? Teens streaming her song during Pride instead of songs from artists that identify with the community is hard to swallow. But Swift helps make up for this by showcasing many LGBTQ+ artists in the music video for her song. For example, she features Hayley Kiyoko, one of the biggest gay icons out there.

It seems like Swift has gotten these artists on her side through spotlighting them, through her donation, and by her honesty in interviews and genuine support. After being in the video, Hayley Kiyoko wrote on Instagram, “Thank you Taylor for using your platform to bring awareness to these issues and for being such a beautiful ally to the community.” This helps prove that Swift’s support is more genuine than people’s cynicism may assume. While Swift benefits from the community, the community also benefits from her support and advocation.

Many people disregard any of Swift’s support because of her failure to speak out in the past. However, she seems to have made an impact on her fanbase, and of course that includes a massive amount of people. One fan, @ TheArsonist2, tweeted “Taylor Swift’s ‘you need to calm down’ is the perfect song for pride month please react to it, it is a BOP.” Many people seem to agree that Swift coming out with a song that exudes support was what the community needed. Another fan, @ NiClovesT, tweeted “You need to calm down didn’t calm me- it empowered me. The way you support the LGBTQ community and make me proud to be myself means more than you can ever imagine. Thank you and I will always stand by you as you do ME! Just... thank you !!!!” This tweet captures how Swift’s support helps her fans with self-love and how much the LGBTQ+ community needs support from celebrities. When a celebrity stands up for the community, it helps members who are struggling with feeling comfortable in their sexuality or gender.

The LGBTQ+ community is a long way from complete acceptance, but any help from celebrities can help promote not only the acceptance of others, but the acceptance of oneself. Some steps are small, like an artist saying they support the community, and others are monumental, like donations or productions spotlighting LGBTQ+ artists like “You Need to Calm Down.” The size of the effort to promote acceptance is not what matters. The impact of a new song or positive interview on individuals is what makes it known that the push for acceptance starts with people like Taylor Swift, who can impact so many. Actions like the ones Swift has taken to right wrongs and support the LGBTQ+ community begin the fight for change. It starts big, with celebrities, but comes down to small moments, like a young member of the community learning it’s okay to love who you love or be who you are simply because of a song that got caught in their head.