Taylor Swift publicly denounces anti-LGBT US midterm candidate Marsha Blackburn
The singer urged young people to register to vote (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Taylor Swift has spoken out publicly against anti-LGBT Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn, who is running for Senate in the state of Tennessee in the upcoming midterm elections.
In an Instagram post, the singer criticised Blackburn’s decision to vote against equal pay for women and the reauthorisation of the Violence Against Women Act.
Blackburn is against gay marriage and believes businesses have a right to refuse service to LGBT couples.
Swift began her post writing she would be voting in the state of Tennessee and although she had been reluctant to publicly voice her political opinions, she felt “very differently” now due to “several events in my life and in the world in the past two years”.
Swift said she had previously been reluctant to voice her political opinions publicly (Getty)
“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 wrote.
“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 appals and terrifies me.
“She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the reauthorisation 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.”
Marsha Blackburn is against gay marriage (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The singer went on to endorse Democrat Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for the House of Representatives.
“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,” she wrote.
“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!”
In 2009, Blackburn actively worked to remove an openly gay safe schools chief for what she and her colleagues denounces as “an integral role in promoting homosexuality and pushing a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools.”
A year later, she voted against repealing the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy, which prevented gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans from serving in the armed forces.
