Taylor Swift makes heartfelt promise to ‘always’ fight for LGBT+ rights so ‘everyone can live out their love story’
Taylor Swift has pledged to “always” advocate for the LGBT+ community
Taylor Swift has pledged to “always” advocate for the LGBT+ community as she was honoured at the Attitude Awards.
The “You Need To Calm Down” singer thanked her fans as she received the Icon Award at the virtual ceremony on Tuesday (1 December).
The star maintained an apolitical stance for years, but has since become a vocal supporter of LGBT+ equality, and was credited with helping to drive up voter registration among young people in the US after speaking out against Donald Trump and anti-LGBT+ Republicans.
Accepting the Attitude Award, Taylor Swift said: “I’m really grateful for this, this is so amazing, I want to thank anyone who had a hand in deciding that I should deserve this.
“Mostly I want to say thank you to the fans for giving me a platform to make music and to be vocal about things that I think are right and wrong.
“I believe very firmly that everyone should be able to live out their love story, without fear of discrimination, and the way for that to happen is for us to do that is to keep pushing governments to put protections in place for members of the LGBT+ community.
“I promise to always advocate for that, and I’m so grateful.”
Taylor Swift has pledged to “always” advocate for the LGBT+ community
Swift spoke about her turn into politics in documentary Miss Americana, explaining: “If I get bad press for saying, don’t put a homophobic racist in office, then I get bad press for that. I really don’t care.
“I think it is so frilly and spineless of me to stand on stage and be like ‘Happy Pride month, you guys’, and then not say this, when someone is literally coming for their neck.”
Todrick Hall pays an emotional tribute to his ‘best friend’
Taylor Swift was introduced at the Attitude Awards by her friend and “You Need To Calm Down” executive producer Todrick Hall, who said: “Her extraordinary career success has given her a platform, and to her credit she knows all too well how important it is to use that platform, and darling, she does!
“As a bona fide LGBT+ ally, she has been unafraid to speak out in support of our community, to give a voice to the silenced, and has addressed political issues that bring those who don’t agree with her right to her.
“And boy, does she love herself a drag queen! I had the honour of executive producing her queer anthem ‘You Need To Calm Down’ and appearing in the all-star video that was the smash hit of the summer.
“Up close and from afar, she is nothing short of an inspiration. This is the woman who taught us all exactly what to do with our haters: we just shake them off!”
