Taylor Swift donates over $100,000 to LGBTQ rights group fighting anti-gay bills in home state of Tennessee
Homophobes, look what you made her do.
By Will Stroude
Words: Will Stroude
Taylor Swift has donated $113,000 (£86,000) to an LGBTQ rights group in her home state of Tennessee to help the group fight a series of recently-introduced anti-gay bills.
The ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ singer, 29, wrote in a letter to the Tennessee Equality Project that she had been “inspired” by the group’s work campaigning for LGBTQ equality in the state.
The donation comes after a raft of anti-LGBTQ bills – known as the ‘slate of hate’ – were introduced in the state legislature.
One would seek to overturn marriage equality in the state, while another would change rules surrounding ‘indecent exposure’ single-sex public places like toilets and changing rooms in a bid to target transgender people.
In her handwritten letter, Swift praised the dozens of religious leaders in the state who have signed a petition publicly denouncing the bills, adding that she hoped her donation would help their work and that of the Tennessee Equaltiy network.
The letter reads:
I’m writing to you to say that I’m so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organiszing the recent petition of Tennessee faith leaders standing up against the ‘slate of hate’ in our state legislature.
Please convey my heartfelt thanks to them and accept this donation to support the work you and those leaders are doing.
I’m so grateful that they’re giving all people a place to worship.
Sincerely,
Taylor Swift
Sharing a picture of the letter on Facebook, the Tennessee Equality Project wrote: “Taylor Swift has been a long-time ally to the LGBTQ community. She sees our struggle in Tennessee and continues to add her voice with so many good people, including religious leaders, who are speaking out for love in the face of fear.
“Tennessee Equality Project is honored and grateful to reveal Taylor Swift has made a donation of $113,000 to support our efforts at this critical moment.”
Swift, who spoke out in support of the LGBTQ community ahead of last November’s mid-term elections, recently made headlines after making a surprise appearance at a gay couple’s engagement party, after one of the grooms-to-be popped the question to the sound of her 2017 track ‘King of My Heart’.