(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Way to go, Taylor Swift, way to go! [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-06-03  

She is the highest paid female entertainer in the world. She has the most top ten hits of any woman in history. She is the first female artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year three times, the first living female artist to hold three top ten albums simultaneously, and the first one ever to hold the top ten songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 at the same time. She has legions of fans, including (apparently) more than half the U.S. adult population. She is the most streamed female artist on Spotify.

You could reasonably conclude she has some degree of influence, particularly on the generations that will be running this country in the coming decades. And she is not shy about speaking out on issues that matter to her, including this country’s current treatment of the LGBTQ community.

As reported by Charna Flam, writing for Variety, Ms. Swift interrupted her Chicago concert Friday night by hammering anti-LGBTQ legislation now being passed by Republican state legislatures throughout the country.

“I wish that every place was safe and beautiful for people in the LGBTQ community,” said Swift. The singer-songwriter continued by sharing that she notices fans who are living “authentically and beautifully” and wants them to know that her shows are a “safe, celebratory space” for them.

Even so, she acknowledged that you can’t talk about Pride “without talking about pain.” Specifically the pain being inflicted by laws like those seeking to marginalize or erase transgender people, which promises to be a major — if not the major — issue that Republicans intend to demagogue for the foreseeable future. She didn’t have to say “Republicans.” Any of her fans remotely familiar with these issues is aware of who is responsible for these laws.

As Flam reports, Swift is adamant that her fans become politically involved.

“Right now and in recent years, there have been so many harmful pieces of legislation that have put people in the LGBTQ and queer community at risk. It’s painful for everyone. Every ally, every loved one, every person in these communities,” said Swift. Swift reminded the arena that these issues motivate her to stay vocal during election cycles. “That’s why I’m always posting, ‘This is when the midterms are’ and ‘This is when these important key primaries are.'” Swift then proposed her fans ask candidates, “‘Are they advocates? Are they allies? Are they protectors of equality? Do I want to vote for them?'” before heading to the ballot box.

As filmed by one fan:

x happy pride month @taylorswift13 🫶🏻



i love you SO much! thank you always standing up for your lgbtqia fans and for being on the right side of history ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜#ChicagoTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/AckXJRF05m — Marissa (SEEING TAYLOR TODAY) 🌃🌌🌠 (@bestwornapology) June 3, 2023

Listen to the cheers at the two-minute mark when she talks about the midterms.

She doesn’t need to speak on these issues to maintain her astronomical level of success. But it sure is fantastic that she does.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/3/2173147/-Way-to-go-Taylor-Swift-way-to-go

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/