On the subject of LGBTIQ+ rights, pop star Taylor Swift has put her money where her mouth is.
The singer, who has been a longtime advocate for the queer community, made a USD$113,000 donation (13 is Swift's lucky number) to the , a group in Nashville dedicated to fighting a fresh slate of anti-LGBTIQ+ bills, referred to as the “Slate of Hate”, which are currently moving through state legislature.
“I’m so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organising the recent petition of faith leaders standing up against the ‘slate of hate’ in our state legislature,” Swift wrote in a letter to Chris Sanders, the group’s director.
“Please convey my heartfelt thanks to them and accept this donation to support the work you and these leaders are doing."
She added: "I’m so grateful that they’re giving all people a place to worship.”
In the past, Swift has faced criticism for remaining silent on political issues. However, in late 2018 she changed her tune -. It's a shift she reflected on in Elle magazine's feature interview, saying she had been "finding my voice in terms of politics".
“I realized that it actually is my responsibility to use my influence against that disgusting rhetoric,” Swift wrote.
“I’m going to do more to help. We have a big race coming up next year.”
