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Since a lot of people seem unable to let go of this subject, let’s talk about @TaylorSwift13 and her music video You Need To Calm Down.
From what I can see, some people are arguing the following ideas:
-Taylor Swift ‘queerbaiting’ for marketing purposes;
-The message being lost by talking about female pop stars;
-Inaccurate portrayal of the protesters and the LGBTQ+ community.
-Taylor Swift ‘queerbaiting’ for marketing purposes;
-The message being lost by talking about female pop stars;
-Inaccurate portrayal of the protesters and the LGBTQ+ community.
First of all, if you think Taylor Swift needs this as a marketing stunt or that “she needs the push to sell more records,” then sadly I’d argue you’re the one who’s disconnected from the US and the rest of the world.
If you’re not aware, this is a hot button that still generates a lot of hate and intolerance across America and the rest of the world.
For a white straight woman like @taylorswift13, it’d be easier just to look the other way like a lot of public figures in her position do.
For a white straight woman like @taylorswift13, it’d be easier just to look the other way like a lot of public figures in her position do.
We’re talking about a music video for a pop song, a creative product from the mind and imagination of @TaylorSwift13, @Todrick Hall, and director Drew Kirsch.
It’s not meant to be an accurate, complete documentary on the LGBTQ+ community and issues.
It’s not meant to be an accurate, complete documentary on the LGBTQ+ community and issues.
At the end of the video, she makes a direct plea asking people to sign a petition in @Change to support the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination in employment, housing, and other public accommodations.
This petition created by @TaylorSwift13 has been signed by 450,000 people, including Democratic presidential candidates Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Kirsten Gillibrand.
On that note, @TaylorSwift13 didn’t just “decided to be an outspoken ally.” You might not be aware of what she has done, but she has a record of being an avid supporter for LGBTQ+ rights, especially in the past two years. Here are a few highlights:
October 2014: She published a song called “Welcome to New York” where she included the line “And you can want who you want, boys and boys and girls girls” -referring to the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in NY time.com/3528687/taylor…
April 2016: Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards to honor her friend Ruby Rose with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award
October 2016: @TaylorSwift13 actively participated in an auction to help raise money for the maintenance of the Stonewall National Monument. huffpost.com/entry/celebrit…
October 2017: she signed a guitar to be auctioned at the 2017 Black Tie Dinner, a fundraiser for LGBTQ+ supportive organizations serving North Texas instagram.com/p/BZ4ULpTBLiT
March 2018: Taylor publicly applauded and defended @HayleyKiyoko for being brave enough to tell her honest and romantic narrative through her art: indy100.com/article/taylor…
June 2018: During her concert in Chicago, she stopped for a minute to speak directly to the LGBTQ+ community in celebration of Pride Month pride.com/music/2018/6/0…
October 2018: In an Instagram post, she opens up about being reluctant to make her political opinions public, but now sees the need to be outspoken. She mentions LGBTQ+ rights and Women Rights as her main motivation. instagram.com/p/BopoXpYnCes/
April 2019: @TaylorSwift13 donated $113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project, a non-profit organization that its mission is to actively fight anti-LGBTQ+ policies and bills in the state of Tennessee. billboard.com/articles/news/…
June 1, 2019: @TaylorSwift13 makes a generous donation to @GLAAD for its ongoing work to amplify stories that fight back against the current rise of hate and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. glaad.org/releases/taylo…
June 1, 2019: @TaylorSwift13 took Instagram to post an Open Letter to Senator Lamar Alexander asking him to support the Equality Act. instagram.com/p/ByJzCNZDMgG/
In her video, @TaylorSwift13 decided to address how the media (and others) pit female pop stars against each other, as well as ending her feud with Katy Perry. 
When people talk about queerbaiting and corporate pride, sometimes I wonder if they forget that not all LGBTQ+ live in big cosmopolitan cities like New York, LA, Chicago, and San Francisco.
For a LGBTQ+ teen, a public acknowledgement of support of their favorite brand or artist -no matter how trivial- could mean the difference between (literal) life and death, especially when they live in intolerant strict environments with no support.
We scrutinize with impossible standards our progressive artists and allies, imposing them through cancel culture, yet we don’t vote out our racist and bigoted politicians who are doing anything in their power to strip a lot of Americans off their rights.
Instead of using your voice to criticize a pop video made by an ally, here are some issues that need more of your attention:
-Immigrants being detained in inhumane conditions in concentration camps;
-Black Transwoman being violently killed all across America at an alarming rate.
-Immigrants being detained in inhumane conditions in concentration camps;
-Black Transwoman being violently killed all across America at an alarming rate.
And regarding some people considering Katy Perry’s cameo as “distracting”, I believe they’re missing the point that the actual theme of the song: Love Over Hate.
