Taylor Swift is gay

“I’ve had the thought several times in my career wondering if I had been a man instead of a woman, and if I had lived my life exactly the same way. Had the same triumphs, made the same mistakes, dated the same people. What would people have said about me if I was a man instead of a woman”  ~ Taylor Swift

What’s it like to brag about Raking in dollars And getting bitches and models?

'Cause they don't know about the night in the hotel They weren't riding in the car when we both fell Didn't read the note on the Polaroid picture They don't know how much I miss you

But don't forget about the night out in LA Danced in the kitchen, chased me down through the hallway No one knows about the words that we whispered No one knows how much I miss you

I remember the night at the hotel I was riding in the car when we both fell I'm the one on the phone as you whisper "Do you know how much I miss you?"

Taylor Swift clearly uses an AABB rhyme scheme and introduces a subverted rhyme. Here is what those terms mean:

“A subverted rhyme, teasing rhyme or mind rhyme is the suggestion of a rhyme which is left unsaid and must be inferred by the listener. A rhyme may be subverted either by stopping short, or by replacing the expected word with another (which may have the same rhyme or not).“

“The AABB rhyme scheme uses sections of four lines divided into two couplets. A couplet consists of two lines that rhyme with each other. The series of couplets continue for the rest of the poem. With the AABB rhyme scheme, each couplet rhymes. So, you have two lines that rhyme (A) followed by two lines that share a different rhyme (B).”

How does that relate to the song you might ask?

'Cause they don't know about the night in the hotel They weren't riding in the car when we both fell Didn't read the note on the Polaroid picture They don't know how much I miss her you

But don't forget about the night out in LA Danced in the kitchen, chased me down through the hallway No one knows about the words that we whispered No one knows how much I miss her you

I remember the night at the hotel I was riding in the car when we both fell I'm the one on the phone as you whisper "Do you know how much I miss her you?"

The listener is expecting to hear the word “her” due to the rhyme pattern

Hotel/ Fell Picture/ Her

LA/ Hallway Whispered/ Her

Hotel/ Fell Whisper/ Her

You should take it as a compliment That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk You should think about the consequence Of your magnetic field being a little too strong And I got a boyfriend, he's older than us He's in the club doing, I don't know what You're so cool, it makes me hate you so much (I hate you so much)

And here are the original lyrics are to the song

You should take it as a compliment That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk You should think about the consequence Of your magnetic field you know it ain’t my fault And I got a boyfriend, he’s older than us I haven’t seen him in a couple of months I go through phases when it comes to love/ My reputation precedes both of us

There’s not a big difference but I think it’s worthwhile mentioning. She talks about her boyfriend and how she hasn’t seen him in a couple of months. She also says she’s unaware of what her boyfriend is doing while talking to someone with a magnetic field. Sure, she’s just crushing on another guy you might say. That interpretation is valid however the rest of the song makes me feel otherwise.

Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine You've ruined my life by not being mine

By itself, not queer. This just shows the intensity of her desire.

You're so gorgeous I can't say anything to your face 'Cause look at your face (Gorgeous) And I'm so furious At you for making me feel this way But what can I say? You're gorgeous

Basic chorus, nothing important to note here.

You should take it as a compliment That I'm talking to everyone here but you (but you, but you) And you should think about the consequence Of you touching my hand in a darkened room (dark room, dark room) If you got a girlfriend, I'm jealous of her But if you're single that's honestly worse 'Cause you're so gorgeous it actually hurts (Honey, it hurts)

Why would it be worse if her crush was single? Is it because Taylor herself has a boyfriend? Why couldn’t they break up? This song is commonly thought to be about Joe Alwyn but that makes zero sense. The entire Calvin/Tom/Joe timeline is a shitshow and it’s especially prominent in this song. How could she have met Joe and not seen her boyfriend in a couple of months? Her boyfriend prior to Joe was Tom and they only dated for 3 months in an incredible PR trip around the world. Let’s play the devil’s advocate and claim it is about Joe. There’s a slight problem, the song was written before they met. Well, that’s if you believe they met at the Kings of Leon concert in October 2016. There’s another problem though if you believe they met at the MET gala in May 2016. She was dating Calvin and not Tom at the time. Why would she break up with Calvin while entranced by Joe’s magnetic field only to date Tom, travel the world, meet his parents, have their union blessed at the Vatican and only then break up with Tom to date Joe?

Ocean blue eyes looking in mine I feel like I might sink and drown and die

Once again showing the intensity of her desire for this magnetic force

You make me so happy it turns back to sad There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have And you are so gorgeous it makes me so mad (Mmh) You make me so happy it turns back to sad (Yeah) There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have and Guess I'll just stumble on home to my cats (Yeugh), alone Unless, you wanna come along? (Oh)

This doesn’t make sense to be about Joe Alwyn. I know I am placing a lot of emphasis on this fact but people claim her album Reputation is about him. There’s no reason she would have to break up with Calvin, date Tom and only then date Joe who she is so enamoured by. Why not go directly to Joe? If this song is actually about Tom why claim it’s about Joe? There is a subtle suggestion of going home together in the last line of this verse which means she’s okay with going straight to this person. Ugh the timeline is a mess.

Yes, I know. The love interest “Romeo” is based off Romeo and Juliet. If you look past the hetwashing you will see it doesn’t make much sense if about a straight couple. A young, white, upper-class boy and girl liking each other is not that controversial. Maybe if there was a large age gap but considering Taylor Swift has said:

Swift told Billboard magazine that the song is about "a love that you've got to hide because for whatever reason it wouldn't go over well. I spun it in the direction of 'Romeo and Juliet'; our parents are fighting. I relate to it more as a love that you cannot really elaborate on - a love that maybe society wouldn't accept [or] maybe your friends wouldn't accept."

Swift expanded on this song's invocation of the story of Romeo and Juliet in an interview with the Los Angeles Times October 26, 2008. Said Swift: "I was going through a situation like that where I could relate. I used to be in high school where you see [a boyfriend] every day. Then I was in a situation where it wasn't so easy for me, and I wrote this song because I could relate to the whole Romeo and Juliet thing. I was really inspired by that story. Except for the ending. I feel like they had such promise and they were so crazy for each other. And if that had just gone a little bit differently, it could have been the best love story ever told. And it is one of the best love stories ever told, but it's a tragedy. I thought, why can't you... make it a happy ending and put a key change in the song and turn it into a marriage proposal?"

Even when she says it’s about a boy I still have a hard time believing it

Taylor Swift told The Morning Call the story of this song: "I wrote it about a guy that I was talking to. He wasn't the popular choice, but I believed in it. I thought, 'This love is different, but it's real.' And I knew I needed to put that line in somewhere. I think that this song is really more about a love that's not convenient and not as comfortable as something else, but it's something you have to fight for. I added the ending [a proposal] cause I want that ending. I want someone to say, 'I love you and that's all I really know.' That's the girly girl in me."

We're all bored, we're all so tired of everything We wait for trains that just aren't coming We show off our different scarlet letters Trust me, mine is better

“We” is used when referring to herself and another person. Their gender is not specified. They both have “different scarlet letters” which in my opinion could mean sexualities. Bisexual, lesbian, pansexual - there are various “letters” in the LGBT community. Taylor speaks of boredom, tiredness and “trains that just aren’t coming”

We're so young but we're on the road to ruin We play dumb but we know exactly what we're doing We cry tears of mascara in the bathroom Honey, life is just a classroom

Taylor Swift and another person are crying tears of mascara in a bathroom. I don’t know about you but that gives me an image of two women. “We play dumb but we know exactly what we’re doing” could mean playing off their relationship as a friendship ie. glass closeting.

'Cause baby, I could build a castle Out of all the bricks they threw at me And every day is like a battle But every night with us is like a dream Baby, we're the new romantics Come on, come along with me Heartbreak is the national anthem We sing it proudly We are too busy dancing To get knocked off our feet Baby, we're the new romantics The best people in life are free

Taylor Swift is painting a vivid picture about how much judgement she receives. She could build a castle out of the bricks thrown at her. It doesn’t matter to her though because nights with her partner are like a dream. They know that heartbreak is the “national anthem” but they’re too busy dancing and singing proudly. She finishes the chorus by stating “The best people in life are free”

We're all here, the lights and noise are blinding We hang back, it's all in the timing It's poker, he can't see it in my face But I'm about to play my Ace

Taylor’s usage of we/us and he indicates there is another person involved. In my opinion this song takes place in a nightclub or bar of some kind. With all of the lights and noise she places great importance on hanging back and the timing. She maintains her poker face to a man. There is something she’s about to do, she’s about to play her Ace. 

We need love, but all we want is danger We team up then switch sides like a record changer The rumors are terrible and cruel But, honey, most of them are true

In my opinion the lines “I’m about to play my Ace” and “We team up then switch sides like a record changer” are related. It can easily be interpreted as a bearding situation where Taylor Swift needs to maintain a heterosexual image. She also states that most of the rumours are true. 

Please take my hand and Please take me dancing and Please leave me stranded It's so romantic (it's so romantic) (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)

This could be interpreted as her and her partner holding hands, dancing, etc and then pulling away (left stranded) when it’s necessary to remain closeted.

What is a scarlet letter? It is a reference to the book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The book explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. A young woman called Hester Prynne gave birth to a baby of unknown parentage and is therefore punished. Her punishment requires her to stand on a scaffold for three hours, exposed to public humiliation, and to wear the scarlet “A” for the rest of her life. The major theme of the book is shaming and social stigmatisation. 

We're all bored, we're all so tired of everything We wait for trains that just aren't coming We show off our different scarlet letters Trust me, mine is better

Lyrics from New Romantics

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet" But you were everything to me I was begging you, "Please don't go," and I said

Lyrics from Love Story

It always makes me laugh when people think Taylor Swift would be offended at people thinking she’s gay. I’m sorry but that’s just ridiculous. For one, being gay is not a bad thing. It’s not offensive and if you feel the need to defend a multimillionaire from those theories I suggest you ask yourself why. Taylor Swift has never labelled herself and your assumption that she is straight is still speculation on her sexuality. 

I think we all agree that Taylor Swift loves cats. What I want to know is why she considers gay pride just as important to her? In my opinion the simplest explanation is that she is queer in someway. Occam’s razor. 

In a video clip of her talking to Brendon Urie about the ME! music video, this is what she says.

“I’m also really so excited that you’re down to do like a massive video. Cause it’s not gonna be a small one. Umm, my idea that I had in the beginning is like it starts in an apartment. Like you and me get in a big fight, I storm out. And I’m like “je suis calme” and then all of a sudden like, I have like a parade happening below. And like, whatever makes you you, you know. It’s just like emo kid, theatre, dance sequences, la la land, everything. And like, when it’s like me-e-e it’s like, dancers, cats, gay pride, people with country western boots. I start riding a unicorn, like just everything that makes me me. If you were to split open my imagination, what would come out of it?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjLVEs9LHpw 2:04

She is very clearly talking about herself when she mentions gay pride. Everyone moved on far too quickly to ask themselves why she said that. I don’t think any straight woman considers gay pride part of themselves. Never mind that Taylor Swift mentioned it alongside dancers, cats, and country western boots.

I don’t understand how anyone can look at this song and think it’s a coincidence she mentioned the LGBT community. Why this song?

“Uh, well the song is inspired by what I love about New York, which is just kind go there’s a freedom to um… and there’s a celebration of being unique. Um, you know, and that was something that I was very inspired by. And also I wrote the song um… I wrote the song kind of following the uh… when gay marriage became legal in New York. Um, and that was something that, you know, it’s so many of my friends had to be kind of scrutinised for who they were in love with, you know, from the time they came out and I just… You know I didn’t wanna make a big deal out of it, because I don’t think it should be a big deal who you love, you know.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V62L3N0K7MQ 13:20

It’s interesting to note she moved to New York in April 2014 and gay marriage was legalised in June 2011.

Let’s have a look at the song lyrics shall we?

Walking through a crowd The village is aglow Kaleidoscope of loud Heartbeats under coats Everybody here Wanted something more Searching for a sound we hadn't Heard before And it said

“The village” is a reference to Greenwich Village in New York City. It has a very strong LGBT presence. The line “kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats” could be referencing people who are out and proud of their sexuality. Apart from that, the first verse is your average song about hopes and dreams in New York.

Welcome to New York It's been waiting for you Welcome to New York Welcome to New York Welcome to New York It's been waiting for you Welcome to New York Welcome to New York It's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat Forevermore The lights are so bright But they never blind me, me Welcome to New York It's been waiting for you Welcome to New York Welcome to New York

I think the chorus speaks for itself. She’s enjoying herself in New York. It’s interesting to note the lyric “I could dance to this beat forevermore” is eerily similar to the lyric “you and me forevermore” in New Year’s Day and “this pain won’t be forevermore” in Evermore. This would be a reference to a relationship with Karlie Kloss however that needs a seperate post.

When we first dropped our bags on Apartment floors Took our broken hearts Put them in a drawer Everybody here was someone else Before And you can want who you want Boys and boys and Girls and girls

She states “and you can want who you want boys and boys and girls and girls” directly following lyrics that explain how she arrived in New York with a broken heart. Once again, very interesting.

Like any great love it keeps you Guessing Like any real love It's ever-changing Like any true love It drives you crazy But you know you wouldn't Change anything anything Anything

There’s nothing specifically queer here. The rest of the song is just a repeat of the chorus.