In a world where corporations like Budweiser proudly “fly the flag for bi pride” and Converse sells the trans flag on a pair of $80 Chucks, Swift is just another figure donning rainbow garb to sell queer people something unnecessary so she can turn a profit.Īs a queer trans woman who has covered LGBTQ politics for five years, I would argue that such behavior isn’t empowering to the LGBTQ community it’s objectifying.
While some saw the rainbow-colored, cake-fighting, gay tea party as bringing queer visibility to the masses, others saw another pop star playing around with queer imagery without talking much about LGBTQ people’s actual lives.Īs Vox’s Rebecca Jennings points out, while Swift’s song looks like a “powerful example of allyship” on the surface - and does include a call to sign a petition in support of the Equality Act - her queer-signaling outfit, slew of LGBTQ celebrity cameos, and outdated parodies of homophobes are all examples of safe messaging during Pride Month. When Taylor Swift dropped her music video for “ You Need to Calm Down” earlier this week, she set the LGBTQ community ablaze.
There are two kinds of “allies”: those who lift up the queer community, and those who seem most concerned with lifting up themselves.
