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The “enemy” is not poor white southerners, it is those in power who fund such legislation and market it to poor communities, whom they have systematically disenfranchised, as a false solution to their problems.
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It’s easy to feed viewers Appalachian people as a scapegoat for the political disasters of America, rather than place the blame on corporations that fund harmful legislation and the politicians who enforce it. Swift’s portrayal of Appalachian and rural communities further the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes regarding media depictions of Appalachian people, politics, and religious beliefs. However, many statistics show that states such as Montana, Alaska, Idaho, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan and Nebraska equally contributed to Trump’s election and subsequently the enforcement of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. This concept is incredibly problematic and can be compared to the perpetuation of the “Trump Country” myth in which southern/ Appalachian communities are depicted as being responsible for the induction of Donald Trump as President.Įssentially, media suggests that Appalachian communities are singularly responsible for electing Trump. Sounds familiar, right? Swift’s portrayal of the Appalachian community suggests that Appalachians are the driving force behind anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. The religious references depicted on the signs could potentially allude to the “Bible Belt,” a term used to identify the region of southern Appalachia that is often negatively depicted as being populated by violent, Trump supporting, Southern Baptists with an anti-LGBTQIA+ agenda. These protesters carry misspelled signs that read “Adam & Eve not Adam & Steve” and “Get A Brain Morans!” and “Homasexuality Is Sin!.” The intentional misspelling of the words “moron” and “homosexuality” are suggestive of illiteracy, a trait that is often associated with poor, rural, white communities that are exemplified by Appalachia. The notion that poor white southerners are illiterate perpetuates incredibly harmful and classist stereotypes regarding the Appalachian community. The wardrobe of the protesters strongly aligns with the depiction of the Appalachian people in media being that overalls are considered to be representative of agrarian communities such as those found in Appalachia. These protesters are depicted as a mostly white group of screaming, toothless conservatives donned in flannels and overalls that are easily assumed to be Appalachians. The lower class target group is later revealed and is represented by the anti-LGBTQIA+ protesters. It initially is unclear who the lower class community is represented by Tan France strutting across the screen in a well tailored suit does not necessarily scream lower class. Given that the video takes place within a trailer park located in a mountainous region, viewers can assume that Swift is alluding to a rural lower-class community in her portrayals, more specifically, the region of Appalachia. Swift’s portrayal of the “enemy” within the video is also problematic. It is base level activism to include popular figures within the queer community as a show of allyship, a truly diverse cast is comprised of more than well known figureheads. In regards to Swift’s video, the queer community is more diverse than conventionally attractive, able-bodied people and queer culture is more than drag queens and Queer Eye. Many corporations are accused of being selectively inclusive during the month of June, being that it is pride month, and highlight iconic members or symbols in order to gain popularity among the queer community to make a larger profit. It goes without saying that the broadening of the platforms of iconic members of the queer community is necessary and appreciated, however, it would have been nice to see some lesser known, less marketable members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Though her intentions were good, Swift’s video is incredibly problematic in its lack of diversity and the perpetuation of harmful Appalachian stereotypes. Through the video, Swift sought to gather support from fans for a petition that supports the Equality Act.
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The residents are comprised of most of the big names within the LGBTQIA+ community such as Ellen DeGeneres, Todrick Hall, the cast of Queer Eye, RuPaul, and Laverne Cox. In a show of allyship, many Taylor Swift fans donated to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD for short, after the release of her newest music video “You Need To Calm Down” in which Swift tells homophobes to “calm down.” The video is set within a kitschy trailer park accentuated by a lush mountainous backdrop. Watch Video: Taylor Swift releases song celebrating Pride