Not a Trump fan after all, apparently.
Singer Taylor Swift, who is from Pennsylvania but grew up in Tennessee, has often been criticised for her reticence on Donald Trump — a silence which led many to assume she was in favour of the Republican.
However, the ‘Shake It Off’ singer has made her first official foray into US politics and urged fans to vote for Democrat candidates in the upcoming mid-term elections for the House and Senate.
In a post on her Instagram page, Swift wrote that she would be voting based on which candidates would most seek to protect equal rights for people regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or race:
“I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.
“I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. 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 color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.
“I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, 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 appalls and terrifies me.
“She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization 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. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives.”
You can read the statement in full below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BopoXpYnCes/?hl=en&taken-by=taylorswift
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