Fresh off her Reputation tour, Taylor Swift has decided it’s finally time to get political. The popstar and self-proclaimed feminist was widely criticized for staying silent during the 2016 election and refusing to use her hefty platform to take a stand against Donald Trump. A year later, Swift was called an “Aryan goddess” by members of the alt-right and her lawyers took legal action after a small, left-leaning blog painted a picture of Swift as a white supremacy figurehead. Again, the singer refused to speak out and reject these claims, perhaps in part because a large part of her fanbase is in states Trump won. Though without further adieu, Swift is breaking her political silence. Is it finally time to forgive her?
“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift posted on Instagram last night.
The 28-year old endorsed two democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee: Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. She also denounced Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who has historically voted against equal pay for women, attempts to protect women from domestic violence, and gay marriage. These actions are not in line with Swift’s “Tennessee values.”
“I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening, and prevalent,” Swift explained. “I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender, or who they love.”
True Swift stans speculated that her political silence had to have been calculated all along. Now they’re also banding together on Twitter to defend their queen against Republican haters, like Mike Huckabee:
Of course, Swift concluded by encouraging fans to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. Read Swift’s full post below and register to vote in your state here.