18 LGBTQ+ References in Taylor Swift’s Lyrics (From Obvious To A Stretch)

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18 LGBTQ+ References in Taylor Swift’s Lyrics (From Obvious To A Stretch)

Since Rolling Stone published the article “Some Taylor Swift Stans Hunt For Clues to Queerness in Promos for New Album ‘Midnights,’” Taylor Swift has been clear that she doesn’t mind searching for queer coding in her music. Even though her team is quick to shut down (other) rumors, she offered the magazine a rare exclusive photo of her recording her next album Midnights two weeks after the article. She went so far as to make a TikTok saying, “I know that I have a habit of dropping cryptic clues and easter eggs when giving you information about my music, and I am not here to deny that but I am here to defy that.”

“Gaylors” on social media are quick to find queer coding in interviews, photos, set design, release dates, costumes, etc. but today we’re not saying anything about the artist, just focusing on relatable queer experiences in the lyrics. Maybe some songs are written from the perspective of screaming from a glass closet or maybe Taylor Swift is just queerbaiting as a marketing tactic, but either way, it’s a singer-approved way to further engage with this lyrical mastermind’s music. And even if you think we’re completely delusional, consider that it’s comforting as a queer person to feel seen within one of the top artists' discography. And after everyone and their mother got into the Jake Gyllenhaal scarf conspiracy theory behind “All Too Well,” is it really so weird to look for any theme within her music? 

So down the rabbit hole we fall…

Dress

SONG Dress LYRICS Our secret moments in your crowded room They've got no idea about me and you Carve your name into my bedpost 'Cause I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Any sapphic will tell you that silence and patience, pining in anticipation is a stereotype of WLW relationships. Really strange to keep repeating I don't want you like a best friend since it's rare people assume a woman and a man are just friends but are very quick to assume the same thing about two women. Also

Welcome to New York

SONG Welcome to New York LYRICS Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats Everybody here was someone else before And you can want who you want Boys and boys and girls and girls The kaleidoscope may again represent the rainbow flag. New York is also very progressive and legalized marriage equality in 2011, four years before it was legalized nationally. CRACKED.COM

ME!

SONG ME! LYRICS But one of these things is not like the others Like a rainbow with all of the colors The song ME! (which was released on Lesbian Visibility Day) is a song about self-confidence, celebration, and accepting yourself fully for who you are, an especially important lesson for LGBTQ+ people who have to live with constant anti-gay rhetoric. Also, the rainbow could be a reference to the pride flag. CRACKED.COM

Source for International Lesbian Day 

Illicit Affairs

SONG Illicit Affairs LYRICS Make sure nobody sees you leave Hood over your head, keep your eyes down Tell your friends you're out for a run You'll be flushed when you return Take the road less traveled by Although it could be heard as a heterosexual song about cheating on a partner, these lyrics could be about hiding a queer relationship from the public eye. Take the road less traveled by especially hints at this, as having an affair is nothing new, but an A+ lister being queer? That would be a road less traveled, indeed. CRACKED.COM

Cruel Summer

SONG Cruel Summer LYRICS Oh, it's new, the shape of your body I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you And I snuck in through the garden gate Every night that summer just to seal my fate Again, this song has forbidden romance all over it. But it's extra interesting that the shape of your body is new. Maybe it's because a new person means a new body to explore. Or perhaps, your lover may have different body parts than previous lovers? CRACKED.COM

Invisible String

SONG Invisible String LYRICS Time, wondrous time Gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies Blue, purple, and pink are the colors of the bi flag. Also, the color palette of the Lover era...along with rainbow colors. There would be very unconsidered choices if she wanted to be read as straight. CRACKED.COM

Dancing with Our Hands Tied

SONG Danring With Our hands Tied LYRICS I, I loved you in secret & Picture of your face in an invisible locket This whole song is about a secret lover. Maybe it's a heterosexual love song about someone you're having an affair with. (Though if Should've Said No taught us anything, it was that Swift looks down on cheating. Hey, maybe her feelings evolved, or maybe it's about having a queer relationship you have to keep on the down low, as to not ruin your Reputation. CRACKED.COM
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