In a rare political statement, Taylor Swift has expressed her support for gun reform on Instagram. The singer posted a photo ahead of this weekend's March For Our Lives, a demonstration brought about by the number of mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S., including the recent Parkland shooting in Florida.
"No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a concert. Or to a movie theatre. Or to their place of worship," she captioned the post. "I’ve made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun reform. I’m so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening again."
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The singer has previously been criticised for her silence around political issues, especially during and after the 2016 election. The singer neglected to endorse a candidate, and fans felt she was not doing enough to distance herself from white supremacist supporters in the aftermath of Donald Trump's victory.
After the shooting in Las Vegas in October of last year, Swift said she was "heartbroken" on Twitter, but didn't mention guns or call for any action. She also did not publicly post about Time's Up, but did reportedly donate to the cause.
This isn't to say Swift hasn't been passionate about issues. She successfully sued the DJ she says groped her at a meet and greet in 2013 for a symbolic $1, going on to donate money to "multiple organisations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves" including the Joyful Heart Foundation, and appeared on the cover of Time Magazine's "silence breakers" issue.
As for this most recent post, Swift has turned off comments on Instagram (something she's done for all posts since re-emerging on the app), allowing no room for debate. Her more conservative fans will likely have strong reactions to this, but for others, who have asked her to speak out on this issue for some time, this Instagram post is a long time coming.
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