Why Taylor Swift Finally Got Political
Taylor Swift and politics haven’t always mixed.
In fact, they never have. In the 12 years since she released her debut, self-titled album, setting her career on a superstar trajectory. She’s remained a purposefully apolitical figure. It had been a shrewd move, one that served her well. After all, you can’t alienate half the country if you keep your mouth shut.
Not even the contentious 2016 presidential election, a time when all of her contemporaries were making their opinions heard and she faced withering criticism. From just about everyone for not joining in, could prompt the “Delicate” singer to take a stand one way or the other. Instead, we simply got a photo of her in line at her polling place on Election Day. With a caption that merely implored folks to exercise their civic duty and vote. If Taylor had strong feeling one way or the other about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinto. And it stands to reason that, like everyone else. She probably did—she wasn’t sharing them with the rest of us.
But that was then and this is now. And to paraphrase a line from the singer’s hit single “Look What You Made Me Do,” the old Taylor can’t come to the phone now. Why? Because she’s fed up.
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In a seemingly innocuous Instagram post on Sunday—seriously, if you didn’t look at the caption. You might just scroll by the simply black-and-white Polariod of Taylor staring directly into the camera. She treated the world to its first major insight into where her head’s at, politically, issuing an impassioned plea for voters who’ve earned the right since 2016. To make sure they’re registered for next month’s midterms while explaining why she won’t, can’t support Marsha Blackburn. A Republican member of the House of Representatives running for a seat in the Senate.
“I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect. And fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country,” Taylor explained. “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. 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.”
Throwing her support behind Blackburn’s Democratic opponent, Phil Dresden, as well as endorsing a Democratic candidate for the House of Reps. Taylor explained that, despite her desire to support women running for office. It was Blackburn’s voting record—one that “appalls and terrifies” the singer—that made her impossible to support.
“She voted against equal pay for women. Also, she voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry,” she wrote. “These are not MY Tennessee values.”
