Taylor Swift Breaks Political Silence Ahead of Midterm Elections
Taylor Swift has stayed out of politics — full stop — until now.
The superstar's reluctance to speak out on any political platform has garnered criticism, which has even led to such extremes as feminist writer Camille Paglia calling her a "Nazi Barbie" in 2015. And while she may have called her legal team to back her up in certain cases, Swift has still maintained a neutral front on anything politically oriented.
That changed Sunday (Oct. 7), when the singer posted an impassioned and lengthy stream of thoughts on Instagram clarifiying her political leanings.
"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 states. "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."
To that end, Swift, who will be voting as a Tennessee resident, endorses her state's Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. She had strong words for Senate opponent Marsha Blackburn, whom she termed unfit to represent the interests of women and those in the LGBTQ community. "Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me," Swift succinctly states.
Swift's post went on to urge voters—especially young voters and those who have just turned 18—to register, and added, "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."
The 2018 midterm elections will be held nationwide on Nov. 6. All information needed for voters, registered or unregistered, state by state, can be found at Vote.org.
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