And then, a surprise performance at the Stonewall Inn.
(Blue and pink are, notably, colors from the bisexual flag.) The less-subtle: The wording Swift chose to announce her first single off Lover - “‘ME!’ out now!” (“Me!” featured Brendan Urie of Panic! At the Disco, who came out as pansexual in 2018.) The beat-you-over-the-head: Swift debuting the single on Lesbian Visibility Day in an interview with Robin Roberts while wearing a sparkly, rainbow romper. (The downside of becoming infamous for breadcrumb trails, hidden easter eggs, and everything meaning something is that your fandom will come to assume that your every move is subliminal, whether it actually is or not.) The subtle: a short, blue and pink manicure. Rumors, however wildly flung, only furthered by Swift’s own actions. For months prior, rumors about Swift swirled around online - in media circles and Swift fandoms alike - that Swift was going to come out of the closet. “I didn’t realize until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of,” Swift explained while discussing her foray into vocal LGBTQ allyship at the time. She said as much to Vogue last year after releasing her rainbow flag of an album, Lover. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME
While “You Need to Calm Down” starred a litany of queer celebrities and stylized the word “glad” as “GLAAD,” the final effect was such that it felt like Swift, herself, was the one who needed to calm down.