On Saturday 21 January 2017, more than one million people rallied at women's marches across the world, in Washington D.C., London, Paris, Sydney, Berlin and New York, on President Donald Trump's first full day in office.
Among them marched the likes of Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Gloria Steinhem, Lena Dunham, Olivia Wilde, Chrissy Teigen and even Karlie Kloss' boyfriend Joshua Kushner – the younger brother of Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift took to social media – rather than the streets – to voice her support for those advocating women's rights, equality and respect, in a landmark move for the star.
Why was it a landmark?
Because this is the first time in the history of Swift–dom that she has unequivocally and publicly voiced an opinion on politics.
On Twitter, the Pennsylvania-born star wrote: 'So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched. I'm proud to be a woman today, and every day.'
Despite Swift's message of support for those marching, fans of Tay-Tay have been quick to accuse her of subscribing to 'white feminism' – a form of feminism that focusses on the struggle of white women and disregards intersectional topics like race, LGBTQ oppression and other human rights issues.
She's also been criticised for opportunism, jumping on the 'feminist' bandwagon on social media when it suits her own professional gain, while her Hollywood counterparts personally rallied on the streets to show their support, at the risk of their careers.
While the pop star has publicly aligned herself to the feminist cause in the past, (in a 2014 Guardian interview she admitted her close friendship with Lena Dunham made her realise she's been taking a feminist stance 'without actually saying so'), she has been widely condemned for faux-feminism and promoting female exclusivity (see the video for 'Bad Blood').
The 27-year-old's tweet is also the first move for the singer into the political domain, having previously vowed never to discuss politics or religion.
In 2012, she told Time:
'I follow [the election], and I try to keep myself as educated and informed as possible. But I don't talk about politics because it might influence other people. And I don't think that I know enough in life to be telling people to vote for.'
This would explain why the 'Shake It Off' singer remained silent on social media and in interviews during the 2016 presidential election, resulting in many questioning who she'd be voting for – Trump or Clinton.
That said, T-Swizzle did encourage her fans to vote on Election Day, posting a photo of herself to Instagram as she waited in line to cast her vote.
The absence of opinion during Trump's presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton came as a surprise to many fans, particularly following his comments regarding sexual assault, women and their rights.
After all, Swift was herself allegedly a victim of sexual assault. In October 2015, the singer filed a lawsuit against a Colorado radio DJ accusing him of assault and battery.
The court documents revealed that her reason to file the lawsuit was to 'serve as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts', according to the Telegraph.
Swift's recent tweet has caused controversy among her loyal fan base, with many questioning why her participation in the discussion on women's rights and Trump's presidency merits discussion or outrage at all.
However, others were quick to point out that as a self-confessed feminist whose career is based on teaching young women the importance of independence, female friendships, supporting each other and gender equality, she has a very significant role to play in the current political climate.
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
