Dear Taylor:
Can I call you Taylor? Or should I refer to you as Ms. Swift? Swifty? The Swiftress?
Look, I know you probably have no idea who I am. And if you do, I’m sure you don’t have a very high opinion of me. I won’t even try to deny that I have made fun of you, ad nauseam. I won’t even try to list all of the times I have disparaged your name, except to say that if I had a nickel for every time I threw shade at you, not only would I be a rich man, I would probably wonder where the fuck they got all those nickels and why the pay was so low.
Also, why nickels? Are you calling me a “nickeler?” That sounds a lot like “nigger,” Taylor.
I hope you aren’t still salty about that time I called you Beckyoncé or Mayonaisse Rihanna. I take back all that stuff I said about your cover of Earth Wind & Fire’s “September.” If I’m being honest, I haven’t even heard it. I was afraid my ears would turn against me and try to stab me in the lower jaw.
But, I digress.
The reason I’m writing is that I saw your Instagram post endorsing Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen for U.S. Senate and Jim Cooper for the U.S. House of Representatives.
In your post, you say, “In the past, I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” adding:
I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.
I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.
I must admit that I am now more conflicted about you. Not since I discovered Jennifer Spelowski was the best beatboxer in my middle school have I felt this level of confusion about a white woman.
On one hand, Taylor, I applaud your efforts. One of my recurring themes is that it is not incumbent upon black people to end discrimination because white supremacy is a system created, maintained and perpetuated by whites. As someone who often talks about white people’s unwillingness to speak out about racism, it would be antithetical for me to criticize your newfound wokeness.