After famously declaring years ago that she wouldn’t discuss politics publicly, the star has broken her silence and taken a stance on some seriously important topics.
In a lengthy Instagram post, the star threw her support behind US Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives, explaining why they were getting her vote in the upcoming election as well as urging people to register to vote.
“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,” Taylor captioned a black and white photo of herself.
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. 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. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. 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. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives.
Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.
So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting!🗳😃🌈
Many have praised the 28-year-old Grammy-winner for taking a stance and speaking out despite the inevitable backlash.
And of course the star did cop the inevitable backlash and has likely alienated her extreme rightwing fans – including US President Donald Trump.
“Marsha Blackburn is doing a very good job in Tennessee,” Trump told media. “She’s leading now substantially, which she should. She’s a tremendous woman. I’m sure Taylor Swift doesn’t know anything about her. Let’s say that I like Taylor’s music about 25% less now, OK?”
Taylor explained to TIME magazine back in 2012 why she chose to keep her political views private at the time.
“I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people,” she said. “And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for.”
Taylor has copped widespread criticism for this decision to remain publicly neutral, with many questioning her reasoning, and during the 2016 “Who is Taylor Swift voting for?” became a trending topic on Google.
She also copped flak for not attending the women’s march in 2017 despite tweeting her support.
Considering the current state of US politics, the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Judge, growing racial tensions and the threat to LGBTQI rights, the time has never been more important to speak out and vote.
