Taylor Swift, the voice of a generation of women
While coming out, it wasn’t always easy to find artists who felt safe - let alone ones who made me feel seen. But Taylor Swift has always felt different. Her music, her lyrics, her voice, and her presence in the world have quietly (and sometimes loudly) made space for people like me: women and queers alike looking for somewhere to belong.
Taylor has never positioned herself as an LGBTQ+ artist. But her advocacy has been real and visible. From speaking out for marriage equality to donating to LGBTQ+ organizations, to her direct call to action in “You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor’s support has been a steady, gentle presence. And sometimes that subtle, consistent support is what feels the safest.
But beyond the public statements, pride-themed music videos, and even wearing a wig with the bisexual flag colors, it’s her music itself that’s made me feel seen. Her lyrics - whether about heartbreak, hope, friendship, or ambition - have always left room for me to find my own story inside them. That’s something few artists manage. Whether it’s toxic partners or loving more than you’re being loved in return, her words are endlessly relatable to the female experience.
Songs like “The Man” gave me strength in ways I didn’t expect. When Taylor sings, “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man,” I hear my own frustrations. As a lesbian in a world that doesn’t always make space for women -let alone queer ones - I’ve felt that hustle, that need to push harder to be taken seriously. Taylor naming that struggle made me feel less alone in it. When I’ve hit setbacks in my career or my personal life, she gives me strength to keep going.
And then there are the softer moments - the mysteries and whispers that feel like hidden places where queerness might exist, if you look closely enough. Take “Maroon”, where she describes the other person’s lips as “the color maroon.” There’s been speculation that this could hint at a past relationship with Karlie Kloss. Also references such as the “trip of my life”, “I’m your daisy”, and “through the garden gate” are all lyrics that made us question and attempt to decode a possibility of a bigger meaning. Whether it’s true or not, those little lyrical ambiguities make space for the possibility that queerness exists in her world - and make her stories relatable to queer and straight experiences alike.
Either way, I want Taylor to date and love whoever lifts her up and lets her shine, no matter their gender. She makes the whole place shimmer and should never have to dull her brilliance. What matters is that through her music and her actions, she’s helped me believe that I deserve the same: someone who lets me shine, just as I am.
Growing up alongside Taylor’s music has meant growing up feeling like someone out there - someone powerful, talented, and kind - was quietly rooting for me. And for that, I’ll always be grateful. Thank you, Taylor, for always being there for us and for being a voice that champions women everywhere. I’m so glad to live in a world that you’re in too.
Much love,
Rachel
