Voices: There’s only one thing we need to know about Taylor Swift’s sexuality

The New York Times recently published an opinion piece speculating about Taylor Swift’s sexuality. In the article, journalist Anna Marks pointed to Swift’s propensity for “dropping hairpins” – coded hints indicating that someone identifies as belonging to the LBGT+ community.

She called attention to Swift’s aesthetic choices (rainbow dress motifs, hair in the colours of the bisexual pride flag) and suggested Swift’s dances on her Eras Tour could be interpreted as a tribute to lesbian artist Loie Fuller.

The article also acknowledged that, taken “in isolation”, these hairpins could be “meaningless or accidental” – but that together, “they suggest to queer people that she is one of us”.

It might sound like an interesting idea – after all, Swift content is a guaranteed page-turner, for diehard Swifties (like me) and casual consumers alike. But I have a massive problem with idle speculation over someone’s (anyone’s!) sexuality: and I think you should, too.

Why? Well, as a lifelong fan, I might have Swift’s birthday and list of former boyfriends in my head without even trying; and I might know all the lyrics to her most obscure B-sides, but I have no idea how Taylor Swift identifies in terms of her sexual orientation. And that doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

I do know that she has previously described herself as a “straight ally”, and that, in a 2019 Vogue interview, she said: “Rights are being stripped from basically everyone who isn’t a straight white cisgender male. I didn’t realise until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of”. I’m deliberately writing that sentence in this article, conscious it will be published in a news outlet; but my main point is this: surely it should never, ever be up to news outlets or organisations to “out” a celebrity?

I’m reminded of Billie Eilish, who took a pop at Variety magazine for supposedly “outing” her during a red carpet interview.

Then there wasthe Heartstopper star Kit Connor, who was pressured by fans into coming out on X in 2022. “I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”, the actor posted. He’s since said that he would have “preferred to [come out in] another way”, adding: “It wasn’t something I was ready to talk about […] I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business.”

And that’s it, isn’t it? An individual’s sexuality and relationship – whether they’re a celebrity or otherwise – simply isn’t anyone else’s business (or Golden Globe joke fodder). End of.

We read so much invitation into celebrity status (I’m including myself in this): justify our urge to gossip because of someone’s fame and success, as if that gives us licence to a window into their private lives. We discuss, confer and assume based on the parts of their lives they willingly (or less willingly) share. And it’s wrong. It’s always been wrong.

In response to the New York Times piece, a source allegedly close to Swift told CNN: “Because of her massive success, in this moment there is a Taylor-shaped hole in people’s ethics”; adding, “there seems to be no boundary some journalists won’t cross when writing about Taylor, regardless of how invasive, untrue, and inappropriate it is”.

It’s 2024; yet we’re still having to insist upon an individual’s right to share details about their sexuality themselves, rather than taking it upon ourselves to share those details for them. Why haven’t we moved on?

I have an outlandish idea, where Swift is concerned. I’ve followed her for years; have read countless about her private life. I’ve argued before that she deserves privacy, just like the rest of us.

So, when it comes to her sexuality (and everything else): what if we just… left her alone? What if we stopped speculating about her in public, and instead left her to share details about her private life as and when she sees fit?

There’s only one thing we need to know about Taylor Swift’s sexuality. The answer is… nothing. Nothing at all.