The New York Times is facing major criticism and backlash from Taylor Swift fans for questioning the singer’s sexuality in a 5,000-word opinion piece published last week.
Look what we made Taylor Swift do.
Read: https://t.co/p2p6WN2Kl3
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) January 4, 2024
Swift’s fans, known as “Swifties,” were quick to launch a campaign boycotting the Times and calling on people to cancel their subscriptions. Swift’s fans pointed out that male singers would not receive that same type of treatment and that the article was sexist.
“This article wouldn’t have been allowed to be written about Shawn Mendes or any male artist whose sexuality has been questioned by fans,” a source close to the situation told CNN.
The opinion was entitled “Look What You Made Me Do” and was written Anna Marks who writes that Swift seems to have an “affinity for queer identity” and may even be hiding her sexuality from the world.
“Whether she is conscious of it or not, Ms. Swift signals to queer people — in the language we use to communicate with one another — that she has some affinity for queer identity,” wrote Marks.
The American public has long since held a fascination with Swift’s love life. Part of it has stemmed from her fame and part of it from the songs that she writes about previous love interests.
“It became clear to me that for me there was no such thing as casual dating, or even having a male friend who you platonically (sic) hang out with. If I was seen with him, it was assumed I was sleeping with him,” Swift wrote.
“And so I swore off hanging out with guys, dating, flirting, or anything that could be weaponized against me by a culture that claimed to believe in liberating women but consistently treated me with the harsh moral codes of the Victorian era.”
Swift tried to change the narrative, according to Fox News, by spending more time with her friend group made up of successful female actors and musicians. That changed, however, with her very public relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, a relationship that Marks comments about in her article.
According to Fox News, “Marks questioned if the relationship is a ‘romance for the ages? strategic brand partnership? performance art for entertainment’s sake?’”
Whatever Marks’ reason for writing the piece, Swift fans across America are angry and there are enough of those fans out there that it could affect the readership of one of the most well-known publications out there.
