Taylor Swift 'Gaylor' theories might entice or entertain, but they also invade

Taylor Swift, an ever-present media pop star has recently made headlines for her new album "Midnights" which debuted October 21. Swift has amassed a giant following of millions of fans called "Swifties" throughout her nearly 20-year career.

It seems that with the release of any new phrase or lyric from Swift, slews of fans come up with arbitrary conspiracy theories about her personal life. Some of these theories include that she secretly eloped and is married to her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn. They allege that there is a secret lost Swift album called "Karma" and even that Swift is a clone of a former satanic leader Zeena LaVey (yes, that is a real theory that was publicized by BuzzFeed).

One of the most prevalent and consistent theories is that Swift is secretly queer. The Swifties who subscribe to this theory are colloquially referred to as "Gaylors." Swift herself walks the fine line between being a mainstream A-list celebrity and retaining a level of elusive mystery. Her hints towards a queer sexual orientation have never been explicit, giving fans room to follow her trail of breadcrumbs — or breadcrumbs of their own creation.

Fans critically analyze lyrical clues, social media posts, relationships and public statements to conjecture Swift’s hidden sexual identification. Gaylors power through Swift’s content with fervor comparable to that used when decoding the Rosetta Stone.

Those who believe Swift is secretly queer cite her relationship with former Victoria's Secret supermodel Karlie Kloss as evidence. The two were close friends from 2012 to 2018, consistently appearing together in public at fashion shows, concerts and sporting events. They released numerous social media posts together cooking, on vacation or just hanging out. This made fans suspicious of a romantic relationship between the two. The internet even named the unconfirmed couple "Kaylor."

Fans also believe the halo over Swift’s boyfriend’s name in the music video for "...Ready For It?" is a reference to Kloss, as she’s a Victoria's Secret Angel. Swift’s boyfriend then might be a stand-in for Kloss for the entire album, according to these theorists.

Some also believe the lyrics in her song “Welcome to New York,” which go “And you can want who you want / Boys and boys and girls and girls,” is another reference to a lesbian (or otherwise queer) relationship between Swift and Kloss because New York is where the two were often spotted together.

In 2014, the two broke the internet with their “kissgate” scandal. A blurry picture was captured of the two supposedly kissing at a concert. There has been no official comment from Swift on the picture confirming or denying the rumors. Although, a viscerally frustrated Swift did tweet “As my 25th birthday present from the media, I’d like you to stop accusing all my friends of dating me.” 

Gaylors have found numerous other pieces of evidence besides Swift’s relationship with Kloss. Many believe she had a romantic relationship with "Glee" actress Dianna Agron due to the lyrics of her album "1989."

Songs from Swift’s eighth album "folklore," especially "betty," are believed to center queer love stories. "betty" tells the seemingly cliche narrative of a teenage boy named James in love with a girl named Betty. But Swift is named after James Taylor, leading some fans to believe James is a pseudonym for herself and Swift is telling the story of a girl she loves. The song “betty” is therefore expressing the pain and shame of being queer and closeted.

Fans also validated the theory through the “reputation” song “Dress” where Swift sings, “I don’t want you like a best friend” allegedly about Kloss. Fans also saw her blue, purple and pink hair in the “You Need To Calm Down” music video as being reminiscent of the bisexual flag. 

Many Swifties accuse Gaylors of grasping at straws and inventing far-fetched evidence that is either nonexistent or purely coincidental.  With "Kaylor" specifically, Kloss also had a supposedly monogamous boyfriend throughout her friendship with Swift. Though many boyfriends of both Swift and her alleged relationships with other women have also faced allegations of being "beards" or of dating for public relations purposes.

The main argument against Gaylors is that her sexuality isn’t something to interrogate publicly. Any person would be mortified to have their sexuality critically analyzed across different platforms. Pop star or not, she is entitled to that level of privacy. These kinds of theories negatively impact her relationships when millions of fans claim her to be queer — true or not.