Taylor Swift & Queer Youth in Utah
I have a bit of serious, but important discussion to have on this post.Â
*Trigger warning for those who may have been affected by suicide in their lives.*
The #1 cause of death among minors in the state of Utah is suicide. Compare that to national stats on suicide among queer folx, and you can imagine it is at crisis levels for queer youth in this state. Among a number of factors, growing up in rural areas (without always having reliable internet connections), in a state with heavy shame culture, and a lack of mental health awareness and resources can create a deep sense of urgency and crisis for youth experiencing mental issues, especially those resulting from lack of family and social networks because of your sexuality and gender identity.Â
This post is going to look at surface level data on internet search for the Equality and how I think @taylorswiftâ is influencing folx in Utah.Â
If you look at internet searches nationwide for the Equality Act (a piece of federal legislation that would grant equal protections and rights under the law for ALL people, including Queer folx), youâll notice a dramatic spike around May 31/June 1, which is when @taylorswiftâ used her platform to create a petition for this piece of legislative. Another small spike around June 14th when the new single drops
When you utilize those dates for the spike and break it up by state, Utah is among the top 3.
Correlate that same search data with @taylorswiftâ, and Utah is the among the top 2 searching for the Equality Act in conjuction with Taylor Swift.
Now, I donât mean to be dramatic. Or try to imply that Taylor is directly, single-handedly âsaving lives.â But this data shows Taylor is having a MAJOR influence in Utah in terms of internet searches for the Equality Act. Folks in this state are actively searching what this act is BECAUSE OF HER ADVOCACY WORK. The search data here in Utah for the Equality Act and @taylorswiftâ give me immense hope that she is having a huge impact among queer youth and their families. It gives me hope that the people of Utah are learning about key civil rights for Queer folks.
I did not grow up in this state. But I work with a lot of young adults who tell me what it was like to grow up here. And Iâve volunteered for organizations in Utah whose purpose are to give love and support to queer folx & families. I hear the desperation in their stories for acceptance and love. And if Taylor is having an impact on that, she is even more incredible than I could have ever imagined. And Iâve been a stan since the self-titled album when I was in 7th grade.Â
Thank you, @taylorswift. You are impacting people in ways that I donât think you can possibly fathom. @taylornation
We can pass the Equality Act. We can help guarantee equal protection under the law for millions of LGBTQIA+ Americans. You donât have to stream the song or watch the video. But please, sign the petition and call your senators NOW.