Taylor Swift has posted a rare political statement on social media.
The singer endured criticism for remaining silent during the rise of Trump, and failing to be vocal about some of the fissures within American society.
With the mid-term elections upcoming in the United States, however, Taylor Swift has broken her silence, urging fans to take part in voter registration.
She writes: "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. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country."
Taylor continues: "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."
The singer urges fans to get out and vote, regardless of their affiliation: "Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway."
"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."
Check out the message in full below.
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