Award winning singer, NFL girlfriend, and billionaire, Taylor Swift has recently stepped out of her comfort zone and expressed her political views. With her worldwide fanbase, Taylor’s political advocacy has earned her minimal controversy, however considering her level of fame, her opinions have influenced parts of society to engage more deeply into the world of politics.
For the past few years, Taylor has used her platform to spread awareness about groups who often face discrimination and harassment. In a variety of her music videos, she has made statements regarding the support of feminism, the LGBTQ+ community, and racial equality. For example, in her music video “You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor is accompanied by multiple dancers that were part of the LGBTQ+ community. This music video won her an MTV music award in 2019. During her acceptance speech, Taylor made a statement about the White House’s lack of attention towards the Equality Act, which is in support of signing a petition towards the prevention of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
Along with Taylors activism for the LGBTQ, she has also fought for feminism. All the way back in 2013, to now Taylor continues to make a stand for feminism. It really became apparent when Taylor filed a lawsuit against a radio host for assaulting her in 2013. From there, Taylor has used her voice to spread awareness. When her infamous album “Reputation” came out, it was in celebration of the reincarnation of the new Taylor Swift. The album is a symbol for girl power and the support of women all over the world. However, despite Taylor speaking out for women through social media and her music, certain feminist advocates feel as though Taylor is a ‘fake’ feminist. They believe that she only speaks out when the time’s most convenient for her. However, when the album was first released, multiple other famous figures such as Emma Watson and Hillary Clinton expressed their belief that feminism is equality, fighting the allegations against her. Now in 2024, Taylor Swift is idolized by many teenage girls, and often looked up to.
Taylor speaking out on feminism and the LGBTQ+ community has had an immense effect on society as a whole, and more recently she has made her opinion on the politics of the government clear. During 2016 and 2018, Taylor was bashed for her silence during the elections that occurred, however in 2020 and 2022, she made her stance on the situation clear. During the 2020 presidential election, Taylor promoted Joe Biden as president. She also spoke out when the 2022 abortion event occurred. She censured the supreme court’s decision regarding abortions. She has also voiced her disapproval towards gun violence, and given funds dedicated towards the Black Lives Matter movement.
With the upcoming Presidential election occurring, the public hopes that Taylor will use her large fanbase to promote the Democratic party. Statistics show that 53% of the nation’s voters are Taylor Swift fans. It was revealed in a survey that 23% of her fans are republican, 55% are Democrats, and the remaining 23% are independents. Despite a portion of Taylors fans having opposite opinions than Swift herself, 28% of Republicans nation-wide have a positive judgment on Taylor, and a little over 50% of Democrats agree.
A poll was conducted, showing that most believe that Taylors advocacy will not have an effect on the final vote, however it is also believed that her involvement will have a major effect on younger generations. The Democrats’ utilization of Taylor’s influence over the youth, will most likely encourage them to vote for the Democratic party. Sophomore at PPCHS, Nonyelum Osakwe expressed, “She [Taylor] has great influence, and in the past, she’s gotten people to vote, so yeah she would change the final vote. It was a few years ago when she got started in the political scene.”
This is widely assumed to happen in Florida, as one of the songs in her new album is titled “Florida!!!” and three of her future shows will occur in Florida. Considering past years statistics, the majority of Florida voters were Republican, but with newer generations coming of age to vote, this may start to shift.
