Songs and speculation: How Taylor Swift’s sexuality is dividing a fandom

0
852

With the release of Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, “Midnights,” questions surrounding the singer’s sexual orientation are stronger than ever. It is hard for any Swiftie to go on TikTok and not see self-described “Gaylors” relaying theories about Swift’s relationships, scouring songs for queer-coded messages and analyzing pictures of her with female “friends.” 

While rumors that Swift is attracted to women have been circulating since the 2010s Tumblr era, they have become increasingly common in the last year. In a now-deleted video, prominent Gaylor theorist @kales_0 stated, “Us Gaylors, we are Ukraine… You just handed Russia [a] nuclear bomb.” So, who is “Russia” in this TikToker’s problematic analogy? That would be the “Hetlors,” those that take Swift’s statements and lyrics at face value. 

The amount of evidence amassed by Gaylors is not unconvincing. For example: the rhyme scheme in “The Very First Night,” the themes in “Ivy” and her songs written “from a man’s perspective” all undeniably have sapphic undertones. However, ethical concerns arise when one considers the implications of certain Gaylors’ actions. If Swift didn’t have her celebrity status and large amount of social capital, would the efforts of Gaylors be seen as a form of outing? 

This is not without push back from Swift herself. In a clip describing a new track “Lavender Haze,” Swift noted that “my relationship for six years–we’ve had to dodge weird rumors… and we just ignore it.” While it is not inherently wrong to express curiosity about a celebrity’s romantic life, actively profiting both socially and financially from postulations regarding someone’s potential queerness is morally questionable. To be clear, the problem is not those that delve into the rich subtextual, possibly queer, meanings in Swift’s work, it is those that outright reject and slander differing views. So, if you want to build an entire brand around Swift’s “Anti-Hero” status, don’t reference Karlie Kloss, Diana Agron or Swift’s fiddle player from her teenage years. Instead, attack her carbon emissions or neoliberal faux-activism. Even better, criticize the “Midnights” album promotion for being more focused on merch than music. All-in-all, no one deserves to have their sexual experience nitpicked on the Internet for millions to judge.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here