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Taylor Swift has finally broken her political silence, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
The "Delicate" singer's decision to keep her political opinions to herself [3] over the last few years has earned her plenty of criticism, especially since she hinged much of her 1989 album and tour [4] around the tenets of feminism and girl power but declined to speak out in support of presidential nominee Hilary Clinton. Many took her silence as support of Republican candidate and noted racist Donald Trump [5]. That notion only continued when white nationalist groups voiced their love of Taylor [6], anointing her an "Aryan goddess" and (falsely) claiming she held similar values [7]. Rather than publicly denouncing them, her camp chose to sue [8].
But with the midterm elections coming up in Tennessee, where she's registered to vote, the 28-year-old decided to share a rare post to social media about who she plans on voting for and her political opinions in general. "I'm writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I'll be voting in the state of Tennessee," she says in the caption of a photo of herself on Instagram [9], also acknowledging her part in the #MeToo movement [10]. "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 writes passionately of her love and support for the LGBTQ community, as well as human rights and race in America. "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," she continues. "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 colour is terrifying, sickening and prevalent."
She finishes her note saying that she'll be casting a vote for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives, rather than Marsha Blackburn ("Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me"). Take the time to read Taylor's powerful caption in full, ahead:
"I'm writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I'll be voting in the state of Tennessee. 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. 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 colour 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 colour, 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!"