Taylor Swift, at the start of Pride Month, asks Tennessee senator to support Equality Act
Taylor Swift took to Twitter minutes into the start of June, Pride Month, to show her endorsement of the Equality Act, the bill that extends civil rights protections to gay and transgender Americans. Swift posted a letter addressed to Tennessee's Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander that asked him to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community and support the Equality Act.
"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," Swift wrote on Twitter to her fans. She encouraged them to reach out to their senators and to use the hashtag #lettertomysenator for her to see.
In the post, Swift mentioned a link to a change.org petition that she started, which on the first day reached more than 70,000 signatures, where supporters of the legislation can add their names to a document urging the Senate to pass the Equality Act.
Swift mentioned how the lack of protection for the LGBTQ community could impact the state's economy and put "jobs at risk" with fewer companies being willing to work in the state.
The Equality Act would extend civil rights protections to the LGBTQ community by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas, according to the Associated Press.
"For American citizens to be denied jobs or housing based on who they love or how they identify, in my opinion, is un-American and cruel," Swift wrote. "Please, please think about the lives you could change for the better if you were to vote to support the Equality Act in the Senate and prohibit this harsh and unfair discrimination."
In May, the bill was passed by the House of Representatives, with every Democrat and eight Republicans voting in favor. But it might not have the same result in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Swift has usually stayed clear of politics, although she endorsed Democrat Phil Bredesen for Senate in October 2018, but it was not enough to propel him to victory over Republican Marsha Blackburn.
