After being silent about politics for her entire career, Taylor Swift has finally stepped up and taken a stance. The singer uploaded this post to her instagram October 7th, 2018 urging people to vote, and voicing that she herself would be voting for a democratic candidate in the Tennessee elections.
Swift made it clear how she would be voting, something she has never done before. While she has uploaded photos of her visiting the voting poles, Taylor has never so much as given a clue on which way she would be casting her vote. When asked why she refused to speak up about how she voted on a nightly talk show, she said that she didn’t feel like it was her place as a 20 year old to tell people what to do. Clearly 28 year old Taylor feels differently than she did 8 years ago. However, recent events in the singer’s life seemed to have changed her mind about her political silence, she writes:
“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’s post caused a spark not only in the media, but with her fans as many took to Tumblr to express how excited and proud they were of Taylor finally posting something to declare her support. Many fans felt a relief to know once and for all that Taylor was indeed on their side, something they had never doubted before but that had come up time and time again from negative peers claiming Swift was secretly supporting Trump and his racist agenda. Those rumors have existed from start of Swift’s careers, exclaiming that a young girl living in Nashville singing country music had to support Republican values, but they were all put to rest today. Swift made it clear that she supported rights of all people, writing:
“I always have and I always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for human rights I believe we deserve in this country […] 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.”
Throughout her career, Taylor Swift has always stood for what she believed was right, from donating $10,000 to a young fan in need of a service dog to inviting her fans to her house and playing her new music for them. Taylor Swift may have a tarnished reputation, but it is not because of anything she’s done, rather it is because of the way people have decided to depict her. But it is clear that “In the death of her reputation she truly felt alive” is something Taylor not only ends her Reputation tour shows with every night, it is a phrase she has taken to heart. Swift is no longer afraid to say what needs to be said, and she is no longer afraid to be outspoken about the issues that are dividing the nation. So as she said, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh because she’s too busy causing a 65,000 person spike of voter registration.