Taylor Swift got the attention of the White House after calling out the current administration over a lack of action on the Equality Act. Swift started a petition on Change.org to call for the United States Senate to take up the Equality Act “which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations.”
At the MTV Video Music Awards, Swift continued to pressure the White House and finally received a response.
While the White House said it did not support the Equality Act as it is currently written, it did say that they support equality for all. But it looks like Swift definitely ruffled some feathers, because longtime Trump supporter and former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway appeared on FOX News on Wednesday, August 28 and mocked the singer for her support of the bill.
“I would love to just survey the audience if they know what that even is, what the Equality Act is and isn’t,” Conway said as transcribed by Complex. “But she’s welcome to her opinion. I actually like the new Taylor Swift song. It’s called ‘You Need to Calm Down.’ I can sing it for you.
“‘If you say it on the street, that’s a knockout / If you put it in a tweet, that’s a cop-out.’ I love that! I mean, that basically is Washington in a nutshell. […] I think when Hollywood and singers and all go political, it sounds in the moment like it’s very popular, and you’ve seen so many times where it backfires and it blows up. But she’s also somebody who went up against President Trump head to head in the United States Senate race in Tennessee and lost handily. Marsha Blackburn is our United States senator now.”
Conway cited “poison pills” as a reason for the White House opposing the Equality Act as it is currently written, which echoes statements made on Tuesday in an official response regarding the bill.
“The Trump administration absolutely opposes discrimination of any kind and supports the equal treatment of all; however, the House-passed bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said.
While it doesn’t look like the U.S. Senate will take up the Equality Act anytime soon, Swift has to be happy that she is at least bringing the conversation to audiences across the country.
