CNN
—
Taylor Swift kicked her feet in Chicago “Eras Tour” Friday night with a strong message of Pride month in support of the LGBTQ community.
“I’m looking tonight and I’m seeing so many incredible individuals living authentically and beautifully,” Swift said at Chicago’s Soldier Field, adding that “this is a safe space for you, this is a celebration space for you.”
Swift even told the audience how “proud” she feels when she sings equality anthem, “You Need to Calm Down,” with them “in such unity, in such mutual support, in such encouraging, good reception and peace and safety.”
Republic Records
Taylor Swift in the music video ‘You Need to Calm Down’ in 2019.
“We can’t talk about Pride without talking about pain,” he said, pivoting from his celebration of community to the realities of the current political climate. He cited what he called recent “disastrous pieces of legislation that have put people in the LGBTQ and queer community at risk.”
“It’s painful for everybody,” he said, adding that he tries to inform his followers when the midterms and major primaries are in an effort to encourage them to vote.
The “Midnights” singer began speaking out about her political beliefs in 2018 when she promoted Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who ran for the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
One of his driving factors, he said at the time in a message posted on his verified Instagram page, is because he believes “in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG.”
Rachel Wisniewski/The Washington Post/Getty Images
(From left) Shayna Weachter, Cecelia Zschunke, Riley O’Brien, and Rayana Weachter scream as Taylor Swift’s set begins, which they listen to from the parking lot outside Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May .
“We can support as much as we want during Pride month but if we don’t do our research on these elected officials – Are they advocates? Are they allies? Are they defenders of equality? I want vote for them?” he said on Friday.
At the end of her speech, Swift told the audience she loved them and wished everyone a “happy pride month.”
As Swift celebrated with her Chicago audience, hundreds no ticket Swifties showed their support by gathering outside Soldier Field on Saturday night to sing along with the show.
The gathering has become a pattern among various “Eras Tour” stops, beginning in May with thousands of Swifties without tickets. flocked sing and dance outside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Field.