Taylor Swift's "You Need To Calm Down" Video Is A Call To Action For LGBTQ Rights

Just a few days after releasing the second single off her new album, Lover, Taylor Swift's "You Need To Calm Down" video dropped on Monday, June 17, and it's all about celebrating Pride. This newest single made waves when it was released, thanks to a rainbow-themed lyrics like "Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?" and "'Cause shade never made anybody less gay." And Swift's new video embraces many pop culture icons of the LGBT community, from RuPaul to the Queer Eye Fab Five.

Swift's "You Need To Calm Down" video has cameos from Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Reynolds, Laverne Cox, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, RuPaul, Jonathan Van Ness, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Justin Mikita, Bobby Berk, Tan France, Billy Porter, Adam Lambert, Todrick Hall, Hayley Kiyoko, Chester Lockhart, Adam Rippon, Hannah Hart, and more. But perhaps most importantly, the video ends with a request from fans to get involved this Pride month and fight for the Equality Act.

The "You Need To Calm Down" video ends with a title card sending viewers to her Change.org petition titled "Support the Equality Act." The Equality Act, which was recently passed in the House of Representatives, would protect LGBTQ people from being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. "Our country's lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic," reads the petition. "The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable."

Swift may be slightly late to the game when it comes to political activism, but her fans are nothing if not fast responders. On Friday, just hours after "You Need To Calm Down" was released, GLAAD reported a "influx" of $13 donations, according to NBC News. 13, of course, is Swift's favorite number, and GLAAD Director of Talent Engagement Anthony Ramos told the outlet in an e-mail statement that Swift herself had made a donation earlier this month. "'You Need To Calm Down' is the perfect Pride anthem, and we're thrilled to see Taylor standing with the LGBTQ community to promote inclusivity, equality, and acceptance this Pride month," Ramos said. Given this track record, there's no question that Swift's petition will receive fast support.

The singer has been celebrating Pride all June. On Friday, Swift made a surprise appearance at the Stonewall Inn, the historic gay bar in New York City. The singer went on stage during an event for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, as reported by CNN. Ferguson, who appeared in the "You Need To Calm Down" music video alongside his husband Mikita and joined Swift onstage at the surprise performance, tweeted his thanks to the singer. "Look who came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall at the Stonewall Inn," he wrote on Friday night. "Thank you for for everything you do for the LGBTQ community."

Swift is determined to make a difference this Pride Month, and it's refreshing to see a celebrity not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. Hopefully her petition will help the Equality Act get some traction in the Senate. And, who knows, this time 20 years from now, we might just all be singing "You Need To Calm Down" at President Swift's inauguration.