Singer/songwriter Taylor Swift has caused an Instagram stir that has fans convinced she’s just come out of the closet as bisexual.
Swift posted a photo of her wrist covered in bracelets, with several spelling out the names of things she loves. That included the name of her cat Benji, and “Fearless,” the title of her second album.
Related: Taylor Swift, Eminem & Dolly: These music videos featured queen-sized ‘Drag Race’ cameos
Fans quickly took notice of one bracelet which read “Proud,” and which also featured pink, blue and purple beads, which happen to also be the colors of the bisexual Pride flag.
This isn’t the first time Swift has hinted at possible bisexuality. In the video for her song “You Need to Calm Down” she also wore a wig which featured the colors of the bisexual flag.
Swift has proven herself, if nothing else, a strong ally to the LGBTQ community. This June, she released “You Need to Calm Down” on Donald Trump‘s birthday, and with a video featuring a number of out-queer celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, Laverne Cox and RuPaul. The video also encouraged fans to support the Equality Act, which would bar discrimination of LGBTQ people in all 50 states.
Brian
She is exhausting.
GourmetGuy
She may be exhausting (I wouldn’t really know), but it helps EVERYONE when famous or admired people come out. Bravissima!
Brian
Except, she didn’t come out. She wore a bracelet.
ShiningSex
Too bad John Travolta and Tom Cruise didn’t get the memo that we all know they’re gay but are so in the closet, they’re visiting Eddie Murphy constantly. 🙂
People should come out regardless of celebs. Look at long it took Ricky Martin and when he did finally come out, it was a thud.
TheGregoryProject
Queerty, you need to calm down.
ShiningSex
What did she do…kiss a girl like Katy Perry and forgot she was straight?
She’s a joke.
Donston
For years there’s been conspiracies of Swift indulging mostly contrived relationships with men to shield being mostly into chicks and to either boost her “boyfriends” profiles or also shield them. Who knows how true that is. It probably isn’t. She may be “queer” in whatever ways. Who knows, But she’s been making a spectacle out of her dating life and using it promote her music and image since she became famous. So, who ever knows what her intentions are when it comes to anything. And honestly, decoding supposed “coming out’s via social media has gotten exhausting. That post isn’t even worth trying to decode.
Brian
Everything with her has to involve hints and mysteries and clues and guessing games. I guess her fans eat it up, but that schtick has gotten beyond old.
I would love to see what happens if she just did a normal album release, without 6 different versions or covers to get people to buy 6 copies, a normal publicity campaign, and mostly just let the music stand on its own. If you take all the marketing away, is there much substance there?
JED08
It’s not a conspiracy theory though, most of her girl posse has come out of the closet and they openly date women. And there’s a reason why we think her relationships with boys are fake, it’s because THEY ARE. But I like her.
Donston
I’m sorta over trying to suss out who’s closeted and who is indulging “fake” relationships. I mean, every relationship is different. Whether you’re a person whose relationship or relationship ambitions are more driven by attractions/passions/sexual preferences or by affections and romantic/emotional fulfillment or by comfort or by experimenting and trying to suss out what you want. They’re all valid. I just don’t care for people who make it obvious that they’re more motivated by things like shame, self-resentment, fear, attention, sociological pressures than anything else.
I will say that Swift does make it obvious that some/many/most/all of her “relationships” are more driven by media buzz and image and building arcs for her music than anything else. No matter her identity or where she fits on the romantic/sexual/affection/relationship spectrum, it’s very apparent that there’s some nonsense going on with her and her “relationships”. And that makes me uncomfortable. But I still like some of her work
Donston
I will admit that I find it strange how she’s supposedly dated and written so many bitter/angry songs about all these famous (or at least in the public eye) men. Yet, not a single one of her exes is willing to say anything bad about her in the press. Hell, none of them will even mention her in the press. It definitely reads as suspect. And out of the litany of dudes she’s been linked with she hasn’t found one worth sticking with for more than three to six months? Or maybe she’s always treated men like paparazzi props and disposable handbags because she’s just now realizing/accepting that she prefers the love and persistent affections and relationship of women. Who knows? But there is definitely more than an extent of image manipulation going on with her and her “relationships”.
TheMarc
Well said, Donston! Complete non-story. Some seem to be happy grasping at every single straw. Let’s wait for someone to actually come out before putting words in their mouth or accusing an ally of “gay baiting,” provide them with neither credit or condemnation until something solid is said or revealed by them.
Tootall
Until she actively comes out and says the words “I’m bi” this is nothing more than speculation at best and queerbaiting (for the purpose of profiteering, regardless of how much of an ally she is at face value) at worst.
Donston
I really don’t like how people attach being “out” with latching on to an identity. Those are not the same things. Talking about the dimensions of her orientation, merely admitting that she’s into chicks to whatever degree, not being embarrassed to be her and/or not being ashamed of dating women and loving a woman- all of that is being “out”. It doesn’t have to be about identifying as something. Nonetheless, she of course, has not done any of those things nor has she embraced an identity with this post. Even if she later reveals herself to be legit “queer” and has female romantic/relationship ambitions, it still reads as baiting, marketing and image building.