Taylor went from Reputation to REPRESENTATION and fans are here for it
The highly-anticipated music video for Taylor Swift’s “Lavender Haze” has dropped and, wonderfully, it includes a rather unambiguous statement from the global music icon that trans is beautiful.
Laith Ashley, a trans model and activist, stars as Swift’s love interest in the feature, and she made her support clear in a tweet announcing the premiere, posting that she “absolutely adored working with” Ashley.
The Lavender Haze video is out now. There is lots of lavender. There is lots of haze. There is my incredible costar @laith_ashley who I absolutely adored working with.https://t.co/auFTSVBP0A pic.twitter.com/RXWPuKvkxK
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) January 27, 2023
“This was the first video I wrote out of the 3 that have been released”, Taylor added. “And this one really helped me conceptualize the world and mood of Midnights, like a sultry sleepless 70’s fever dream. Hope you like it”
In the video, Swift and Ashley are seen lying in bed together, with Swift stroking his back to reveal a starry sky. The pair are then seen at a party, sitting on the floor in each other’s arms, and dancing together, while surrounded by purple misty haze.
Needless to say, LGBTQ+ fans and allies were buzzing about the stunning new video, which you can see further down this article.
Obviously *some groups* were quick to criticize the video and Swift herself, peddling out the usual transphobic horseshit on Twitter, but we’d rather focus on the good (which was also the majority):
The love interest in Taylor Swift’s new Lavender Haze music video is trans model and artist Laith Ashley. At a time when trans rights are increasingly under attack, this representation is major. pic.twitter.com/5n1F6aSGiP
— Ashley Spencer (@AshleyySpencer) January 27, 2023
To see @laith_ashley, an out trans man, costar in this Taylor video is so incredible: https://t.co/XSKqmrd4Ef https://t.co/3JOY02GDRt
— GLAAD (@glaad) January 27, 2023
Really can’t believe Taylor featured a trans man with top surgery scars in a video for a song with the lyrics “get it off my chest,” like thanks for an anthem for trans masc/nonbinary fans tbh 🫶🏻
— Alex 🪩🍑🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@KwirShenanigans) January 27, 2023
an artist as huge as taylor casting a trans love interest when cinema or even tv hasnt gotten to that level of normalcy yet is so so big do y’all understand this
— ash ✨ (@taylgbtswift) January 26, 2023
trans men are men. leith is a man. taylor’s partner in her music video is a man, a very hot and sexy one too, and y’all need to cut the transphobic shit. you can do queer analysis of the music video without misgendering him and calling it gay.
— samᴴ²⁸ 🐝 (@mirrorslouie) January 27, 2023
already saw someone say that taylor having a trans love interest in the lavender haze music video makes her queer.
her love interest is a man. she’s a woman.
stop invalidating the identities of trans men. you’re being transphobic!— connor (@ivymidnights) January 27, 2023
Watch the incredible video for Lavender Haze below: