Taylor Swift doubles down on LGBTQ support during Pride Month with surprise show at Stonewall Inn

Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance Stonewall Inn Friday as part of her continued public support of pro-LGBTQ issues during Pride Month. 

Hot on the heels of Thursday’s debut of her new single, You Need to Calm Down, which name checks GLAAD and takes aim at anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, Swift traveled to New York City for an intimate Pride performance at the Stonewall Inn, which was the site of riots credited with launching the gay rights movement 50 years ago. 

The event, which was co-hosted by Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and drag queen Jackie Dupree, was thrown by concert promoters AEG and Stonewall Inn, and attended by about 100 people.  

Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at Stonewall Inn Friday, hot on the heels of releasing her new single, You Need to Calm Down, which takes aim at anti-LGBTQ rhetoric

Swift (with event co-host Jesse Tyler Ferguson) performed before about 100 people

Swift (with event co-host Jesse Tyler Ferguson) performed before about 100 people

Sara Bareilles kicked off the event with renditions of two of her songs, Brave and Gravity.   

Swift capped off the event by taking the stage, playing guitar while accompanied by a pianist, to perform her hit, Shake It Off, and the new single, You Need to Calm Down.

Among the song’s lyrics are the lines ‘And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate/’Cause shade never made anybody less gay’ and ‘Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?’ 

‘Thank you for having me Stonewall, and happy Pride!’ Taylor said during the event, according to Billboard.    

Also performing during the event were VINCINT, jazz singer and comedian Lea DeLaria, as well as Broadway stars Jessica Vosk and Gavin Creel, who sang an original composition about when he came out to his mother.   

The event comes two weeks prior to 50th anniversary of the start of the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969, when members of the gay community fought back against police raids at the venue. 

She thanked Stonewall for hosting her and wished the crowd 'happy Pride' and performed her hit Shake It Off and the new single, You Need to Calm Down

She thanked Stonewall for hosting her and wished the crowd ‘happy Pride’ and performed her hit Shake It Off and the new single, You Need to Calm Down

Ferguson joined Swift while singing Shake It Off, which Swift introduced by telling the crowd she'd heard it was one of his favorite songs to karaoke too

Ferguson joined Swift while singing Shake It Off, which Swift introduced by telling the crowd she’d heard it was one of his favorite songs to karaoke too

Swift capped off the night, which also included performances by Sara Bareilles, VINCINT, Lea DeLaria, Jessica Vosk, Gavin Creel and event co-host Jackie Dupree

Swift capped off the night, which also included performances by Sara Bareilles, VINCINT, Lea DeLaria, Jessica Vosk, Gavin Creel and event co-host Jackie Dupree

Swift pictured leaving her surprise performance at Stonewall Inn on Friday evening

Swift pictured leaving her surprise performance at Stonewall Inn on Friday evening

Ferguson tweeted about Swift's surprise performance which was part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the riots at Stonewall Inn, which jump started the gay rights movement

Ferguson tweeted about Swift’s surprise performance which was part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the riots at Stonewall Inn, which jump started the gay rights movement

Following the release of You Need to Calm Down on Thursday, the LGBTQ advocacy group told NBC News that it has been receiving a plethora of donations for $13, which it believes to be a reference to Swift’s favorite number, 13.

In a statement, GLAAD’s direct of talent engagement, Anthony Ramos, said that the fact that Swift ‘continues to use her platform and music to support the LGBTQ community … is a true sign of being an ally.’

Ramos added that ‘”You Need to Calm Down” is the perfect Pride anthem, and we’re thrilled to see Taylor standing with the LGBTQ community to promote inclusivity, equality, and acceptance this Pride month.’

On Friday, GLAAD tweeted that it had created three limited edition stickers to go along with one time gift donations.

‘You could be GLAAD with a limited edition sticker invoking @taylorswift13’s lyrics from #YouNeedToCalmDown. They’ll sell out quickly, so reserve yours right now!’ the tweet said.

One of designs would be given out for a $13 donation, but all three designs could be had for donations of $25.

GLAAD noted that Swift had made a ‘very generous donation’ to the organization at the start of the month as a way of honoring Pride Month.

Although Swift had kept a relatively low political profile for most of her career, she began actively speaking out about LGBTQ political advocacy during the 2018 midterm elections.

Since then, she is said to have donated $113,000 — another reference to her favorite number — to the Tennessee Equality Project, which seeks to fight a series of anti-LGBTQ bills in her home state.

Rolling Stone reported that Swift sent a handwritten note to the organization’s executive director accompanying the April donation, writing: ‘I’m so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organizing the recent petition of Tennessee faith leaders against the ‘slate of hate’ in our state legislature. I’m so grateful that they’re giving all people a place to worship.’

On June 1, the first day of Pride Month, Swift took to Instagram with a lengthy post, in which she wished her fans a happy Pride Month, then took the opportunity to encourage people to write letters to their senators explaining why they should pass the Equality Act, which had already been passed by the House.

She accompanied the post with an image of the letter that she had written Tennessee senator, Republican Lamar Alexander.

That same night, Swift performed at an iHeart Wango Tango concert in Los Angeles while wearing a rainbow colored outfit, encouraging fans to contact their senators to appeal to them about passing the Equality Act, according to Reuters.



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk