Pride Music: Taylor Swift "You Need To Calm Down"

Taylor Swift in "You Need To Calm Down"

Taylor Swift dropped her awesome new music video for “You Need To Calm Down” and it’s packed to the gills with LGBTQ stars, celebs and personalities.

Featured in the video are Ellen DeGeneres, Laverne Cox, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan van Ness, Bobby Berk, Tan France, Ciara, RuPaul, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita, Billy Porter, Adam Lambert, Adam Rippon, Ryan Reynolds, Hayley Kiyoko, Todrick Hall, Chester Lockhart, Dexter Mayfield, Hannah Hart, and Katy Perry.

Billy Porter

The song shows Taylor's "all-in" support for the LGBTQ community as the video is full of plastic wading pools, crowns for queens, bouncy beats, glitter, and queer references like GLAAD and shade.

The music video's release arrives just weeks after Swift shared an open letter to her Republican Tennessee U.S. senators calling for their support for the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

And Friday night, she surprised folks at the historic Stonewall Inn with an impromptu performance of her mega-hit "Shake It Off."

The climax of the vid is an epic trailer park food fight followed by the message:

"Let's show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally.

"Please sign my petition for Senate support of the Equality Act on Change.org.

Go, Taylor, go!

RuPaul

Taylor Swift Makes Surprise Appearance At Stonewall Inn

Taylor Swift makes surprise appearance at historic Stonewall Inn

Pop star Taylor Swift surprised the crowd at the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City last night with an impromptu performance of her hit, "Shake It Off."

From Variety:

After a rousing pair of songs from Sara Bareilles — including a version of “Brave” that had virtually all of the 100-odd lucky people inside singing along — Swift was greeted by the evening’s headliner, “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

She thanked him for inviting her and said, “I heard this is Jesse’s favorite song to do at karaoke — which is an incredible rumor, I really want to believe it’s true,” she laughed and then turned to him. “So if there’s anything you feel like you want to jump in on, a part that you’re really good at, just sing, dance and be yourself — this is a really safe space!”

Before Swift performed, AEG, which co-hosted the event, presented Stonewall with a $50,000 check to support its Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative’s (SIGBI) development of an LGBTQ+ anti-bias training standard in conjunction with anti-bias training experts.

The performance occurred on the same day she dropped her latest single, "You Need To Calm Down," which name checks GLAAD and chastises homophobes.

I’m so happy I don’t have to keep this secret any longer. Look who came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall at the Stonewall Inn. @taylorswift13, you are a gem. Thank you for everything you do for the LGBTQ community. We ❤️ you! 🌈 https://t.co/ICE2b3arxU

— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) June 15, 2019

#BREAKING - Taylor Swift makes a surprise appearance to sing “Shake It Off” during Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s cabaret show at The Stonewall Inn! @taylorswift13 #TaylorSwift #YouNeedToCalmDowm #Lover #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/TiriVhq0O1

— Charles A. O'Keefe (@CharlesAOKeefe) June 15, 2019

This is all just the latest in a string of actions by the 29-year-old artist in support of the LGBTQ community.

On May 31, Swift surprised folks by posting an open letter to her U.S. Senators asking them to support and pass The Equality Act, which would create federal protections against LGBTQ discrimination by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

During the 2018 midterm elections, she declared her opposition to virulently anti-LGBTQ U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). She also donated $113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project to fight several anti-LGBTQ bills that have been introduced in the state.

#lettertomysenator https://t.co/EKYMXZw5U9 pic.twitter.com/Ym0mGeOHgc

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 1, 2019

Podcast: Taylor Swift, Joe Biden, Homophobes Of The South & Pride Month Begins

In this week's podcast:

• An Alabama mayor catches heat for calling for ‘killing out’ the gays

• A Tennessee prosecutor says he doesn’t prosecute domestic violence among same-sex couples because ‘it’s not really marriage’

• Taylor Swift calls for passing The Equality Act, which Joe Biden says he would make a top priority as president

• And YouTube Originals produced a new documentary exploring LGBTQ Pride across the country, 'State of Pride'

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Click here to sign Taylor Swift's petition in support of The Equality Act: www.change.org/p/support-the-equality-act

Taylor Swift Urges Federal Government To Pass Equality Act

Taylor Swift (image via Instagram)

International pop star Taylor Swift shared a message of support for the LGBTQ community to her 200 million social media followers just minutes into the first day of Pride Month 2019.

Not only does Taylor wish us all a Happy Pride Month, but she's launched a petition on Change.org demanding the federal government enact The Equality Act.

Here's the text of her petition:

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! While we have so much to celebrate, we also have a great distance to go before everyone in this country is truly treated equally. In excellent recent news, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate.

While there’s no information yet as to when the Equality Act will go before the Senate for a vote, we do know this: Politicians need votes to stay in office. Votes come from the people. Pressure from massive amounts of people is a major way to push politicians towards positive change. That’s why I’ve created this petition to urge the Senate to support the Equality Act.

Our country’s lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic. The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of the hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable.

Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally.

I love that Taylor is using her social media powers for good, and hope you will, too.

Please make sure you head to the petition (over 68,000 signatures at this time) and sign it as well.

You know I did :)

View this post on Instagram

🌈HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!🌈 While we have so much to celebrate, we also have a great distance to go before everyone in this country is truly treated equally. In excellent recent news, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate. I’ve decided to kick off Pride Month by writing a letter to one of my senators to explain how strongly I feel that the Equality Act should be passed. I urge you to write to your senators too. I’ll be looking for your letters by searching the hashtag #lettertomysenator. While there’s no information yet as to when the Equality Act will go before the Senate for a vote, we do know this: Politicians need votes to stay in office. Votes come from the people. Pressure from massive amounts of people is a major way to push politicians towards positive change. That’s why I’ve created a petition at change.org to urge the Senate to support the Equality Act. Our country’s lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic. The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of the hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable. Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally. 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 Click the link in my bio to sign the petition for Senate support of the Equality Act.

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on May 31, 2019 at 9:05pm PDT

#lettertomysenator https://t.co/EKYMXZw5U9 pic.twitter.com/Ym0mGeOHgc

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 1, 2019

The Grammy Award winner also shared her letter to her state's senator, Sen. Lamar Alexander, asking for his support for The Equality Act.

Along the way, she also brings up Tennessee's recent anti-LGBTQ 'Slate of Hate' bills in the state legislature, and rejects Donald Trump's position on The Equality Act.

Music Video: Taylor Swift "ME!" Featuring Brendon Urie

Taylor Swift in her new music video, "ME!"

Taylor Swift, country queen turned pop goddess, dropped the first track and video, “ME!” from her upcoming album, and it's the most pro-LGBTQ vid from the artist yet.

Directed by Dave Meyers, the video features the Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco.

Brendon Urie and Taylor Swift

Opening with a slithering albino snake that explodes into colorful butterflies, the focus shifts to Taylor and Brandon arguing en Francais before the beat kicks in and we are off as Taylor dances with a rainbow of power-suited backups.

Already #1 on iTunes, “ME!” is also trending at #1 on YouTube.

Watch below.

Taylor Swift Donates $133K To Fight Anti-LGBTQ Legislation In Tennessee

Taylor Swift

International recording artist Taylor Swift has donated $113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project to aid in its attempts to stop state lawmakers from passing a slew of legislation that has been labeled as a “slate of hate.”

Chris Sanders, of Tennessee Equality Project, announced the donation.

“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,” Sanders said on Facebook.

In a handwritten note to the organization, Swift praised the group for organizing a group of Tennessee faith leaders in a petition against the legislation.

“I’m so grateful that they’re giving all people a place to worship,” she wrote.

The bills being considered in the state legislature would:

• Allow adoption agencies to legally discriminate against prospective LGBTQ parents

• Ban transgender people from using the bathroom or locker room that aligns with their gender identity

• Ban marriage equality in spite of the 2015 Obergefell decision at the U.S. Supreme Court

Podcast: 20th Anniversary Of Matthew Shepard, Taylor Swift, Facebook & Broadway's 'Once On This Island'

In this week's podcast:

• The nation observed the 20th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard

• Anti-LGBTQ forces in Romania faced an epic fail in trying to outlaw marriage equality

• New Jersey moves to protect transgender students

• The Trump administration requires foreign diplomatic employees' partners to be married in order to be in the US or face deportment

• Taylor Swift goes political speaking out for LGBTQ rights and Democratic candidates

• Facebook added coming out as a new "Life Event" option as the US observed National Coming Out Day

• New polling shows 70% of Americans support protecting LGBTQ folks from discrimination

• Plus my review of the fantastic Broadway revival of 'Once On This Island'

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report. Hit the play button below.

Taylor Swift's Call To Vote Inspires Huge Spike in Voter Registration

Taylor Swift (image via Instagram)

After becoming the most decorated female artist in American Music Awards history last night (22 trophies now), pop superstar Taylor Swift continued to raise her newly-found political voice telling the AMA audience to "get out and vote."

"This award and every single award given out tonight were voted on by the people, and you know what else is voted on by the people?," said Swift as she accepted the 'Artist of the Year' award. "The midterm elections on November 6."

"This award and every single award given out tonight were voted on by the people. And you know what else is voted on by the people... is the midterm elections on November 6th. Get out and vote."
-Taylor Swift, sticking a fork in the GOP after winning Artist of the Year pic.twitter.com/UEkPCSWYY5

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) October 10, 2018

As reported earlier here, Swift took to her Instagram account Sunday night to not only urge people to register and vote, but she enthusiastically endorsed two Democrats in her home state of Tennessee.

Along the way, she also denounced Republican Senate candidate, Marsha Blackburn for her anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion positions.

"I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country," Swift said. "I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG."

The post has garnered over 2 million 'likes' since Sunday.

In less than two days, Vote.org (which helps register voters) saw a huge spike (240,000) in registrations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

To put that into perspective, 190,178 registered in the entire month of September.

In Tennessee, there was a corresponding reaction.

In the past two days, Vote.org saw 2,144 registrations in Tennessee. Compare that with 2,811 new Tennessee voter registrations for the entire month of September and just 951 in August.

View this post on Instagram

I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT

Taylor Swift Comes Out Strong For LGBTQ Rights, Announces Vote For Democrat In Tennessee Senate Race

Taylor Swift (image via Instagram)

Other than some general support for the anti-gun violence movement, pop superstar Taylor Swift has been reluctant to share her political leanings.

Until now.

Sunday night, Swift posted her thoughts on the upcoming midterm elections and how she plans to vote in her home state of Tennessee.

The 28-year-old began by stating upfront her strong support for LGBTQ rights, writing, "I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG."

She goes on to say she has always championed electing women to office, Swift says she cannot bring herself to vote for the woman in the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Tennessee.

"Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn," writes Swift. "As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me."

"She voted against equal pay for women," she continued. "She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values."

Swift then announced, "I will be voting for (Democrat) Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives."

She also urged all of her fans to 'educate' themselves, make sure they register (October 9 is the deadline in Tennessee) and specifically spoke to young people.

"So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count," wrote the international pop-star.

She closed her message with a rainbow emoji and "Happy Voting!"

RealClearPolitics shows Blackburn with an average 2 point lead over Bredesen.

Swift has 112 million Instagram followers and 83.5 Twitter followers.

View this post on Instagram

I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT

Taylor Swift comes out as a Dem as Kanye is stumping for Trump. Life comes at you fast https://t.co/8au0Ns5nHH

— Astead (@AsteadWesley) October 7, 2018

Idina Menzel Joins Taylor Swift Onstage For Full-On Costumed "Let It Go"

Thank you @taylorswift13! That was definitely an out of body experience. Or out of Elsa's body! #1989TourTampa pic.twitter.com/oGPl9l6jp6

— Idina Menzel (@idinamenzel) November 1, 2015

Music Video: Taylor Swift "Wildest Dreams"

Taylor Swift dropped her latest music video - "Wildest Dreams" - during last night's MTV VMA Awards, where she took home the Video of the Year award for “Bad Blood.”

This video highlights the newest single from her wildly successful album 1989.

In the video, Swift falls in love with a movie co-star (played by the very handsome Scott Eastwood) a la "Out Of Africa."

Lions, giraffes, tigers and more fill the gorgeous landscape as Swift tangles with her own 'inner beasts.'

Taylor Swift Stands Up To Apple And Wins

(photo via Facebook)

The recently announced Apple Music service is looking to hook customers with a free three-month trial period WHICH Apple did not want to pay artists during.

Taylor Swift wasn't having any of that.

From Entertainment Weekly:

Taylor Swift took a stand against Apple this weekend when she wrote an open letter condemning the company for not paying artists during the free three-month trial of Apple Music. It sparked Apple to change its policy, and senior executive Eddy Cue announced that because of her letter, Apple would pay artists during that time.

Now, the Recording Academy is praising Swift for standing up to the tech titan. “We applaud Taylor Swift for taking a lead role in voicing the concerns of songwriters, artists, and producers regarding Apple Music’s launch, and we commend Apple for changing its policy,” President and CEO of the Recording Academy Neil Portnow said in a statement. “Once again, the creator’s voice prevailed – as it should. Taylor has demonstrated that when songwriters, artists and producers band together, they can achieve fairness for the creative community.”

Here's the content of Taylor's open letter to Apple:

To Apple, Love Taylor

I write this to explain why I’ll be holding back my album, 1989, from the new streaming service, Apple Music.

I feel this deserves an explanation because Apple has been and will continue to be one of my best partners in selling music and creating ways for me to connect with my fans.

I respect the company and the truly ingenious minds that have created a legacy based on innovation and pushing the right boundaries.

I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service.

I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.

This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows.

This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success.

This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt.

This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.

“THESE ARE NOT THE COMPLAINTS OF A SPOILED, PETULANT CHILD. THESE ARE THE SENTIMENTS OF EVERY ARTIST, WRITER AND PRODUCER IN MY SOCIAL CIRCLES WHO ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP.”
These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child.

These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much. We simply do not respect this particular call.

I realize that Apple is working towards a goal of paid streaming. I think that is beautiful progress.

We know how astronomically successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period… even if it is free for the fans trying it out.

Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything else Apple has done.

I hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think this could be the platform that gets it right.

But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this.

We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.

Taylor

Madonna & Taylor Swift Perform "Ghosttown" At IHeartRadio Awards

Hottest pop star of the moment Taylor Swift accompanied biggest pop star of all time Madonna at the 2015 iHeartRadio Awards last night on Madge's current single "Ghosttown" from Rebel Heart.

Madonna returned the favor by presenting Taylor with "Song of the Year" honors for "Shake It Off."

Taylor Swift's Hit Song Gets Gay, Thanksgiving Parody - "Shake And Bake"

Just in time for Thanksgiving, check out this parody of Taylor Swift's hit "Shake It Off" by Adrian Anchondo and Daniel Franzese - "Shake And Bake."

Bonus points for catching HBO's Looking star Russell Tovey as a hunky Pilgrim.

Video: Kentucky fraternity guys lip-dub Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off"

And so it begins: the wave of Taylor Swift lip-dub videos by cute guys.

No I'm not complaining :)

Check out Delta Sigma Phi - Beta Mu of Kentucky's Transylvania University with their one take lip-dub of Taylor Swift's new hit "Shake It Off."

On the YouTube page, the men of Trans U ask for donations for an upcoming Leukemia fund-raiser, so head here to check that out.

Looks like Miss Swift liked it, too. She tweeted the link and invited all the guys to a concert next year. Score!

I'm personally inviting all of these guys (and a date!) to a show on tour next year, it's on me. Nailed it, bros! http://t.co/PuBjqkf27n
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) September 12, 2014

(h/t Queerty)

Music: Taylor Swift "Shake It Off"

Taylor Swift in her new video "Shake It Off"

I'll admit up front I'm not the biggest Taylor Swift fan. She has talent, clearly, but she's not my thing.

BUT - I do like her new video for her single "Shake It Off." Lots of footage of Taylor making fun of herself with several different sets of dancers (ballet, hip hop, modern, cheerleading). Visually it's very fun and interesting.

Plus - the message of the song is definitely going to resonate with pop culture today. Referring to one's critics as "haters" and telling folks to "shake it off" is a popular message.

"I've had every part of my life dissected — my choices, my actions, my words, my body, my style, my music," Swift tells Rolling Stone about the new single. "When you live your life under that kind of scrutiny, you can either let it break you, or you can get really good at dodging punches. And when one lands, you know how to deal with it. And I guess the way that I deal with it is to shake it off."

From Taylor's upcoming CD "1989" - preorder on iTunes here.

Olivia Newton-John returns to country music roots at the American Country Awards

Olivia Newton-John returned to her country music roots and a standing ovation as she made an appearance at the American Country Awards to present Taylor Swift with the first ever World-Wide Artist Award.

Music Video: "Highway Don't Care" by Tim McGraw with Keith Urban & Taylor Swift

Tim McGraw debuted his new music video "Highway Don't Care" yesterday.

The video is like a mini-movie spreading the message about the dangers of texting and driving. It’s a powerful video with a powerful message.