Once called “America’s Sweetheart,” Taylor Swift is back in the news again. Right at the end of the American leg of her Reputation tour, Taylor let the world know how she would be voting in this year’s midterm elections.
Taylor was heavily criticized during the 2016 election season because she did not denounce Donald Trump the way many celebrities around her were. In a lengthy Instagram post on October 8, Taylor shed light into her Democratic support during the midterms while simultaneously sharing her beliefs that every person matters, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Photo Credit: Taylor Swift / Instagram
Here is the full text of the post:
“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 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!”
Since Twitter is the method of political rebuttal these days, Mike Huckabee (father of Trump’s Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders), tweeted that Taylor’s post would have minimal impacts on the election since most of her fans are 13-year-olds.
Photo Credit: Mike Huckabee / Twitter
Unfortunately for the former Governor, he is incredibly wrong. First of all, Taylor Swift has been making music for ten years now, which means the majority of her fanbase is 18+. Secondly, Vote.org, a non-profit dedicated to helping people register to vote, said that 65,000 young Americans aged 18-29, registered to vote within the 24 hours following Taylor’s Instagram post.
The best part about Taylor’s post was that she didn’t recommend which way to vote. Her advice was to look into the candidates and vote for the one that most aligns with your views, whether that’s the Republican, Democratic, or Independent candidate.
As the midterm elections come closer, I’m interested to see which other celebrities will follow suit and encourage young people to vote! If you aren’t registered or aren’t sure if you are, find out more here.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!