Taylor Swift‘s team has been reportedly left fuming after an “inappropriate” op-ed was published by The New York Times that speculated about the superstar’s sexuality.
The op-ed that claimed that Swift has been dropping hints about being queer across the span of her career has left Swift’s team outraged. Within the piece, the author, Anna Marks, compiled an extensive list of what they label as “evidence” that allegedly proves the singer is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, including dying her hair the colours of the bisexual flag in her You Need To Calm Down music video.
“There seems to be no boundary some journalists won’t cross when writing about Taylor, regardless of how invasive, untrue, and inappropriate it is – all under the protective veil of an ‘opinion piece,’” CNN Business was told. “Because of her massive success, in this moment, there is a Taylor-shaped hole in people’s ethics”.
The insider claimed that the article would not “have been allowed to be written about Shawn Mendes or any male artist whose sexuality has been questioned by fans”.
Swift — who has in the past proclaimed herself as an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community — recently debunked speculation about her sexuality in the October 2023 re-release of her 1989 album, where she explained that she surrounds herself with women to avoid speculation on her romantic life. Swift explained that she “swore off hanging out with guys” and “decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships”.
Swift also answered questions about her sexuality in a 2019 Vogue interview, where she explained why she had been silent on LGBTQIA+ issues for so long. “Rights are being stripped from basically everyone who isn’t a straight white cisgender male. I didn’t realise until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of,” she explained.
It is unusual for The New York Times to publish articles of any kind that speculate on a person’s sexuality. The publication clearly outlines its adherence to a strong code of ethics that extends to journalists within the publication and outsiders contributing. A spokesperson for The Times declined to comment directly on the criticism from Swift’s associates.
