American singer Taylor Swift showed support for LGBTQ rights in her home state of Tennessee by donating a generous amount of USD 113,000 to an organisation called Tennessee Equality Project (TEP).
The organisation has been working to keep state lawmakers from passing a series of bills that Swift and others characterise as a “slate of hate”.
The 29-year-old singer also penned a handwritten note on why she felt so “inspired by the work” the organisation does. TEP’s executive director, Chris Sanders, posted a photo of Swift’s letter on the organisation’s Facebook page and praised the singer for her gift.
“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,” Swift began her letter.
“Please convey my heartfelt thanks to them and accept this donation to support the work you and these leaders are doing. I’m so grateful that they’re giving all people a place to worship,” she added.
The Tennessee Equality Project is fighting a series of bills, which some refer to as the “Slate of Hate,” that would target LGBTQ individuals. One bill would allow adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples on the basis of religious beliefs. Another bill would ban gay marriage in Tennessee while another would prevent government agencies from considering a business’s nondiscrimination policies before selecting a contract.
Swift was known for not speaking out about her political beliefs but last year she publicly endorsed former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) over former Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R), who won the seat, in the Senate race. She cited Blackburn’s anti-LGBT views as part of the reason she supported Bredesen.
