NYT Faces Backlash From Taylor Swift Fans Over Op-Ed Labeling Singer ‘Queer’
The New York Times is facing major backlash from Taylor Swift fans after publishing an op-ed that labeled the singer as potentially being “queer.”
Swift’s fanbase is one of the most die-hard, obsessive groups of fans in the country, and the so-called “Swifties” have become known for piling on even the slightest hint of insult toward their favorite singer.
The fans have now set their sights on the New York Times, bashing the left-leaning outlet for daring to publish the op-ed questioning Swift’s identity. They have claimed that the article suggesting Swift may be “queer” is “grossly inappropriate” and “sexist” — arguing that male singers would never be treated this way and calling on the public to boycott the New York Times by canceling their subscriptions.
While Swift has long been an outspoken supporter of the LGBT community, she has never shown any signs of being “queer” — as she is known for her long string of failed relationships with famous men, and is currently dating Kansas City Chief tight end Travis Kelce.
However, journalist Anna Marks argued in her New York Times op-ed — titled “Look What You Made Me Do,” a reference to a Swift song of the same title — that Swift has an “affinity for queer identity” and could be hiding her true identity from the world.
“Whether she is conscious of it or not, Ms. Swift signals to queer people — in the language we use to communicate with one another — that she has some affinity for queer identity,” Marks claimed in the opinion piece.
The leftist journalist went on to cite Swift’s appearance, claiming that she must be “queer” because she previously wore rainbow-colored dresses and hairstyles inspired by the pride flag.
Marks also tried to uncover hidden meanings behind Swift’s lyrics, including her being in “glass closets” in the song “Willow.” She even pointed to Swift recognizing lesbian artist Louie Fuller during her Reputation Tour as evidence.
“In isolation, a single dropped hairpin is perhaps meaningless or accidental, but considered together, they’re the unfurling of a ballerina bun after a long performance,” she claimed.
“Those dropped hairpins began to appear in Ms. Swift’s artistry long before queer identity was undeniably marketable to mainstream America. They suggest to queer people that she is one of us,” Marks added.
This is a common tactic of far-left activists — taking beloved characters or famous people and finding the smallest detail that they believe signals a “queer identity” and asserting that they are a member of the LGBT community. One famous example is the iconic Scooby Doo character Velma, who originally was written to have a romantic relationship with male character Shaggy, but has been rewritten as a lesbian because far-left activists claimed that her character displayed clear lesbian qualities.
Despite the fact that Swift herself is an outspoken pro-LGBT leftist, as are her fans, the attempt to “rewrite” the award-winning Grammy artist’s identity as “queer” did not go over well.
“Just cancelled my subscription. This article is sexist and grossly inappropriate,” one user wrote in response to the New York Times’ article on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“What the hell did I just read? It’s severely disturbing that the NYT would participate in the ultimately phobic attempted ‘outing’ of Taylor Swift. Hell of a way to treat an ally, Anna Marks,” another user wrote.
“There is something deeply wrong with the New York Times publishing this article speculating that Taylor Swift may be secretly queer—based on absolutely nothing,” another user replied. “This is the kind of garbage that belongs in the supermarket checkout next to the National Enquirer.”
