The 5000 word opinion piece has been called out for being “invasive” and “untrue”
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY STARSTOCK/DREAMSTIME
Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest artist in the world. Almost every detail of her life has been picked apart and analysed by fans and haters alike. Suffice it to say, she’s no stranger to having her privacy invaded or love life speculated on. But on 4 January, the New York Times (NYT) published an opinion piece where the writer claimed there are “easy-to-decode clues” within Taylor’s music and personal life that hint that the singer is secretly queer.
The 5000 word opinion piece lists what the writer perceives as LGBTQIA references. “In isolation, a single dropped hairpin is perhaps meaningless or accidental, but considered together, they’re the unfurling of a ballerina bun after a long performance,” the pieces reads. “Those dropped hairpins began to appear in Ms. Swift’s artistry long before queer identity was undeniably marketable to mainstream America. They suggest to queer people that she is one of us.”
“Because of her massive success, in this moment there is a Taylor-shaped hole in people’s ethics,” an alleged insider told CNN. “This article wouldn’t have been allowed to be written about Shawn Mendes or any male artist whose sexuality has been questioned by fans.”
“There seems to be no boundary some journalists won’t cross when writing about Taylor, regardless of how invasive, untrue, and inappropriate it is – all under the protective veil of an ‘opinion piece,’” the insider added.
Last year, in the prologue for her 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, the star addressed the rumours surrounding her sexuality. She opened up about being the target of slut shaming and how, to make it stop, she swore off “hanging out with guys, dating, flirting or anything that could be weaponised against [her] by a culture that claimed to believe in liberating women but consistently treated [her] with the harsh moral codes of the Victorian era.”
“If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalise or sexualise that – right?” the musician wrote. “I would learn later on that people could and would.”
We have seen time and time again the harm that can come with speculation on celebs’ sexualities. Celebs such as Kit Connor, Rita Ora and Dove Cameron have all publicly addressed feeling pressured to come out publicly after receiving queerbaiting accusations.
Somebody’s sexuality is no one else’s business. A coming out is owed to no one. And, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: when someone tells you who they are, believe them. And Taylor has told us time and time again that she is not part of the LGBTQIA community.
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
