On Sunday, Oct. 7, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift wrote a post on Instagram that voiced her support for the Democratic candidates in her native Tennessee. This is significant because Swift was seemingly apolitical until this point, and different groups used her as a figurehead for white supremacy. No longer will Swift be associated by some with the Republican party, and in my opinion, that is long overdue. I’ve been a fan of Swift for five years, but her music has been a permanent part of my adolescence. I distinctly remember listening to her song “Fifteen” before my first day of high school and spending hours learning “Treacherous” on the piano. There is no doubt in my mind that she is extremely powerful—given how much she’s had an influence in not only my life, but that of every female I know.

Every since releasing “reputation,” Swift has been extremely unapologetic. She’s said that she’s acting more like herself: being more candid with her fans, having more explicit content in her songs and speaking out about diversity and LGBT issues. So, going along with this, Swift was candid about her political views. But I think the most important part of Swift’s post is that she’s using her platform, her privilege and influence as an illustrious white female, to call attention to the turmoil faced by minorities.

While many right-leaning news organizations are focusing on the sole fact that Swift went political, I find that what she said should be agreed upon on both sides of the political spectrum. Swift states that systemic racism in this country is “terrifying [and] sickening” and that discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation or gender is WRONG [sic].” Everyone should agree that discriminating against anyone on any grounds is morally wrong. But I know minorities sometimes aren’t given as big of a platform to break those outdated stereotypes due to the systemic racism in this country. That’s why Swift’s post is so important.

And her impact has been felt nationwide. According to vote.org, more than 50,000 people registered to vote following Swift’s post. Furthermore, Tennessee voting registration went from 2,811 new registrations in the month of September to 3,582 in October—with over 2,000 in the last 36 hours alone. I hope all those new registered voters will go to the polls this coming November; I hope this encourages people to think about the implications their choice candidates will have on minorities; I hope this will lead to people making informed decisions and voting for the candidates who best fit their ideals, whatever those may be.

View this post on Instagram

I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT