Taylor Swift surprised fans with a performance at the 50th anniversary of gay rights protest, the Stonewall Uprising.
The pop star thrilled the crowd at the Stonewall Inn in New York on Friday with an acoustic version of her 2014 hit Shake It Off, and was joined on stage by Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who headlined the event.
“I’m so happy I don’t have to keep this secret any longer. Look who came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall at the Stonewall Inn. @taylorswift13, you are a gem. Thank you for everything you do for the LGBTQ community,” Ferguson wrote on Twitter after her impromptu gig.
The 29-year-old wished the crowd a “happy Pride month,” and invited the Broadway and TV star to sing along with her onstage.
“I heard that this is Jesse’s favourite song to do at karaoke,” Taylor said to Ferguson. “So if there’s anything you feel like you want to jump in on, if there’s like, your part that you’re really good at, then, just sing, dance, just be yourself. This is a really safe space.”
The invitation-only event, which was co-hosted by Diva Jackie Dupree, and also featured performances by Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel, comes as it was revealed Taylor's new track has prompted a surge in donations to GLAAD after she name checked the LGBTQ organisation in her latest lyrics.
A longtime supporter of gay rights, she intentionally dropped her new anthem, You Need To Calm Down, on Thursday, to coincide with Pride Month.
The track is an anti-hate song calling out those who bully people over their sexual persuasion, and includes the lyrics, "Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?"
Staff at GLAAD recently launched a special fundraiser to aid their advocacy, and set a $1,300 goal as a tribute to the pop star's favourite number, 13. According to TMZ, many of Swift's fans have indeed donated $13.
GLAAD executive Anthony Ramos added, "The fact she (Taylor) continues to use her platform and music to support the LGBTQ community and the Equality Act is a true sign of being an ally."
