Taylor Swift urges Tennessee senator to help pass the Equality Act in an open letter that says its 'un-American' for people to be discriminated against based on their sexuality or gender
- Taylor Swift urged her senator to help pass the Equality Act on Saturday
- The singer took to Instagram to share a letter she wrote to Sen. Lamar Alexander
- Sharing the open letter to 118 million followers, Swift said: 'For citizens to be denied... based on... how they identify, in my opinion, is un-American and cruel'
- Swift also launched a Change.org petition calling on the Senate to support of the Equality Act. It received more than 53,000 signatures as of midday Saturday
Taylor Swift has penned an open letter to a Tennessee senator urging him to vote for the Equality Act, which would protect the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination.
The Grammy-winning musician called on Senator Lamar Alexander to help pass the act 'which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations,' she wrote.
Sharing the open letter to 118 million Instagram followers, Swift said: 'For American citizens to be denied jobs or housing based on who they love or how they identify, in my opinion, is un-American and cruel.'
The Grammy-winning musician called on Senator Lamar Alexander to help pass the act 'which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations,' she wrote
Sharing the open letter to 118 million Instagram followers, Swift said: 'For American citizens to be denied jobs or housing based on who they love or how they identify, in my opinion, is un-American and cruel'
The 29-year-old continued: 'The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate.
'I've decided to kick off Pride Month by writing a letter to one of my senators to explain how strongly I feel that the Equality Act should be passed.
'I urge you to write to your senators too.'
In the letter, Swift took a swipe at Trump, writing: 'The President's stance that his administration 'supports equal treatment of all' but that the Equality Act 'in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights.''
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'One cannot take the position that one supports a community while condemning it in the next breath as going against 'conscience' or 'parental rights.'
'That statement implies that there is something morally wrong with being anything other than heterosexual and cisgender, which is an incredibly harmful message to send to a nation full of healthy and loving families with same-sex, nonbinary or transgender parents, sons or daughters.'
Swift also launched a Change.org petition calling on the Senate to support of the Equality Act. It quickly received more than 53,000 signatures as of midday Saturday.
The House voted for the first time last month to approve legislation banning anti-LGBT discrimination.
The 29-year-old continued: 'The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate. 'I've decided to kick off Pride Month by writing a letter to one of my senators to explain how strongly I feel that the Equality Act should be passed
Every Democrat voted in support of the bill, along with eight Republicans who threw their support behind it.
If the act were introduced, it would expand on the existing Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination at work, in housing, jury selection and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender.
However, the bill faces a stern test from Republican senators who largely have been unmoved by the attempts for cross party unity on the matter.
The president is also unlikely to sign the bill should it make it through both chambers, despite his recognition of Pride Month on Friday.
The 'Shake It Off' singer has been a long time advocate for the LGBT community and previously donated $113,000 to a group working against the 'Slate of Hate' in her state legislature.
The Tennessee Equality Project's leader Chris Sanders shared Swift's note on Facebook last month.
'I'm writing you to say that I'm so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organizing the recent petition of Tennessee faith leaders standing up against the 'Slate of Hate' in our state legislature,' the musician wrote.
'Please convey my heartfelt thanks to them and accept this donation to support the work you and those leaders are doing. I'm so grateful that they're giving all people a place to worship.'
