Bad news, Gaylors. Taylor Swift may have finally addressed the longstanding rumors that she is secretly queer in what appear to be the leaked liner notes for the re-release of her iconic album 1989.
Screenshots of the prologue for “Taylor’s Version” of the beloved 2014 pop LP began circulating on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday, as Page Six and other outlets noted. The text of the prologue — which is not yet verified as authentic — includes a reference to the intense speculation surrounding Swift’s mid-2010s friendships with women like model Karlie Kloss.
“I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships,” Swift purportedly wrote, referring to this period of her career. “If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that right? I would learn later on that people could and people would.”
That final sentence appears to be a direct reference to the Gaylor community, a hyper-online group of Taylor Swift fans who believe that the singer-songwriter is a closeted bisexual or lesbian woman who has been leaving clues about her sexuality with a level of calculation that, frankly, would make her a criminal mastermind. Gaylors, as proponents of the theory are known, have analyzed Swift’s friendships with Kloss and Glee star Dianna Agron, the color of her outfits and hair dye, and perhaps most crucially, the lyrics of her love songs to build their case that the pop icon would one day come out of the closet.
From my own observations as a Reddit lurker, Gaylors were already reeling from the news of Swift’s relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce, which began making headlines around the time many were expecting that Swift might finally make an announcement about her sexuality. I would not recommend checking how the Gaylors are processing the leaked liner notes until they’ve had some time to metabolize the news. In all seriousness, it can be heartbreaking to learn that someone you thought represented you does not share your experience (although engaging in such speculation is always a tricky exercise).
Swift has ostensibly debunked the Gaylor theory in more circumspect ways in the past. She told Vogue in 2019, “I didn’t realize until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of.” The leaked 1989 liner notes, however, seem to further reiterate the idea that Swift considers herself an ally to — rather than a member of — the LGBTQ+ community, including a shout-out to fans “who saw the seeds of allyship and advocating for equality in ‘Welcome to New York.’”
Short of announcing “I am not gay,” this may be the most direct way the famously cryptic communicator ever addresses this subject. And while it may be difficult news to bear for fans who had a deep personal interest in Swift’s love life, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a powerful ally.
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