This story is part of Salty Queers, quick takes on the pop culture and political news that has us marinating in bitterness.
A moment of silence for 2019’s self-proclaimed queer icon, Taylor Swift.
Swift famously eradicated homophobia in June and deemed herself the Ultimate Ally when she released her video for “You Need to Calm Down” — a tune dedicated to the woke fam who want to protect The Gays just in time for Pride Month.
But this week, Swift left queers everywhere shook when she posted an Instagram photo wearing a bracelet with the colours of the bisexual flag — pink, blue and purple — and letters that spell the word “proud.” This post fuelled speculations that maybe TayTay is one of us.
Hi everyone if you missed taylor swifts bi flag hair in the yntcd music video you should note that her most recent post is a bi flag bracelet with the word ‘proud’ how do you clowns believe she is straight i cant pic.twitter.com/xJGa54W42v
— Chrissy (@theChrissyRissy) August 5, 2019
Taylor Swift just posted a pic of her wearing a bi pride bracelet i’M AKDJFHDKA pic.twitter.com/F6VS1KPU4D
— sappho panic #BlueForSudan (@leneeh4) August 5, 2019
Taylor Swift out here wearing a “PROUD” bracelet beaded in bi colors THATS IT THATS THE TWEET!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/CzCNOLa4yQ
— Madison Malone Kircher (@4evrmalone) August 5, 2019
Hold that thought before you congratulate her on her arrival: She is definitely not one of us. In an interview with Vogue, Swift said “You Need To Calm Down” came about when she realized she can, you know, stand up for those who have fewer rights than her.
“I didn’t realize until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of,” she said “It’s hard to know how to do that without being so fearful of making a mistake.”
And she did make mistakes . Here’s some of them (*drum roll* the receipts): Swift’s poor-white-girl-victimized role in the Kim and Kanye feud, her perpetual shut-downs of other women in the music industry and her strange, misplaced silence throughout the 2016 US presidential election.
As salty as we are, even we can admit Swift has been trying. Her newly woke “You Need to Calm Down” video featured several LGBTQ2 stars, from Hayley Kiyoko to the Queer Eye guys. The song has also resonated with queer fans — including LGBTQ2 folks from Poland who made their own music video.
But in true Taylor fashion, this move toward LGBTQ2 advocacy is, in the end, totally about . . . Taylor. In the same interview, she told Vogue, “When I make a mistake, it echoes through the canyons of the world. It’s clickbait, and it’s a part of my life story, and it’s a part of my career arc.”
Career arc. Honestly, we’re just waiting for the conclusion.
This story is part of Salty Queers, quick takes on the pop culture and political news that has us marinating in bitterness.
Why you can trust Xtra
