Taylor Swift has broken her political silence as she urged young people to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
The singer admitted that she was “reluctant” to publicly speak about her political stance in the past, but told fans that she has now changed her mind.
“Due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” the 28-year-old explained on Instagram.
The singer spoke out about a candidate running for Senate, called Marsha Blackburn and told fans: “Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women.”
“She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry,” the singer continued.
She then urged fans to research candidates before voting: “Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values.”
“So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count,” Taylor continued.
The singer’s political statement comes after she has been heavily criticised in the past for her silence regarding Donald Trump and many suspected that she was a supporter of the president.