Pop superstar Taylor Swift kicked off gay pride month with an impassioned recognition to those “vulnerable” people dealing with “feelings” of “adversity from society” as she performed in Chicago on Saturday.
Before launching into a rendition of her new song “Delicate,” the songstress addressed the LGBTQ community from the stage at Chicago’s Soldier Field during her June 1 show, according to Billboard magazine.
“It’s very brave to be vulnerable about your feelings in any situation, but it’s even more brave, to be honest about your feelings and who you love when you know that it might be met with adversity from society,” Swift said.
Swift continued, saying:
This month and every month I want to send my love and respect to everybody who has been brave enough, to be honest about how they feel, to live their lives as they are, as they feel they should be, as they identify.
This is a month where I think we need to celebrate how far we’ve come, but I think we also need to acknowledge how far we have left to go. I want to send my love and respect to everybody who hasn’t felt comfortable enough to come out yet … and may you do that on your own time and may we end up in a world where everyone can live and love equally, and no one has to be afraid to all say how they feel,” Swift added.
When it comes to feelings and when it comes to love and searching for someone to spend your whole life with … it’s all just really, really delicate.
The pop star’s sudden leap into politics is unusual since she has mostly steered clear of controversial issues in recent years. Though in March she did break that habit by donating to the anti-gun “March For Our Lives” campaign. The donation and support for the anti-gun group was also a rare departure from her usual silence on political issues.
Indeed, Swift’s silence on politics caused a stir last year when liberals tried to force her to publicly denounce President Donald Trump.
Swift’s “Reputation” tour continues at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, U.K. on June 8. Her tour will then continue in the U.S. later in June.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.