Taylor Swift Just Did Those Most Bisexual Thing Known to Man. Still, the Gaylors Rage.

"A long-running sub-fandom, the Gaylors are convinced that Swift is a closeted lesbian who sends coded signals about her queer sexuality through her songs and promotional materials. On Tumblr and Reddit, they share theories that her many romantic relationships with men are red herrings, fabricated to distract from her secret relationships with women, most notably her onetime best friend Karlie Kloss."

"One prominent subreddit, r/gaylorswift, has about 50,000 members. Last week, when Swift posted about Kelce's proposal, the community was wracked with dismay. Members posted that they were "speechless and disappointed," that this was "the worse news of my life," that they were "so confused" and "gonna vomit." Some surmised that the engagement could be yet another ploy: "For all we know, she just wanted an excuse to wear the actual wedding ring she got from her actual WIFE!""

"Soon, the schadenfreude began. Screenshots of the subreddit posts were passed around on social media, where Gaylors were mocked as delusional weirdos. Soon, the r/gaylorswift moderators made the subreddit private, presumably to ward off trolls and allow users to mourn in privacy. "Your feelings are valid," one Gaylor assured any saddened peers who felt "misled" by Swift's alleged sapphic Easter eggs."

A small fandom called the Gaylors believes Taylor Swift is a closeted lesbian who signals queer sexuality through songs and promotional materials. The group circulates theories on Tumblr and Reddit asserting that Swift's relationships with men are distractions from secret relationships with women, notably Karlie Kloss. A prominent subreddit, r/gaylorswift, has about 50,000 members and reacted to Swift's engagement to Travis Kelce with dismay, posting messages of shock and speculation that the engagement could be a ruse. Screenshots of the community's reactions were shared and mocked on social media. Moderators made the subreddit private to shield members, while some fans expressed indifference.

Read at Slate Magazine