Taylor Swift says rights are being stripped from 'everyone who isn't a straight white cisgender male'
Taylor Swift has opened up to American Vogue about being more outspoken about LGBT+ issues, saying that rights are being stripped from "basically everyone who isn't a straight white cisgender male".
Earlier this year, Swift made a sizeable donation to an LGBT+ advocacy group in Tennessee, writing in an open letter that she is "inspired by the work" the organisation does to support LGBT+ rights.
The singer's increased public support for the LGBT+ community has been noticed in recent years. In 2018, she marked the beginning of Pride Month by delivering a heartfelt speech at a concert where she expressed her hope that the world will become a place "where everyone can live and love equally".
In the September issue of American Vogue, Swift explained that she realised she hadn't been "publicly clear" with regards to her support of the LGBT+ community in previous years, an understanding which she described as "devastating".
"Rights are being stripped from basically everyone who isn't a straight white cisgender male," the 29-year-old said.
"I didn't realise until recently that I could advocate for a community that I'm not a part of.
"It's hard to know how to do that without being so fearful of making a mistake that you just freeze. Because my mistakes are very loud."
Swift continued, explaining that when she makes an error, "it echoes through the canyons of the world", which is why she had felt the need to be cautious.
During her interview with American Vogue, the Lover singer was also questioned about whether she was aware of sexism within the music industry throughout the early stages of her career.
Swift admitted that when she was a teenager – having first signed with music publishing company Sony/ATV at 14 years old – she did not see or comprehend sexism in her profession.
"Then I realised that was because I was a kid," the musician said.
"The second I became a woman, in people's perception, was when I started seeing it."
In 2017, Swift won a sexual assault case against radio DJ David Mueller.
The "ME!" singer claimed the DJ groped her backside during a meet-and-greet in 2013.
After being fired from his job following the claim, Mueller sued the star for $3m (£2.48m).
Swift filed a countersuit seeking a symbolic one dollar in damages, which she was awarded.
The coin Mueller gave Swift, she tells American Vogue, featured Native American woman Sacagawea, who famously helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition during the early 19th century.
The musician speculated whether the DJ's choice of coin was meant to imply that Swift is "self-righteous and hell-bent on angry, vengeful feminism".
"Hey, maybe he was trying to do it in honour of a powerful Native American woman. I didn't ask," Swift added.
American Vogue's September 2019 issue is available on newsstands in New York and LA from 13 August, and across the US from 20 August.
