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Taylor Swift

is not the epitome of pop royalty without reason. Considered one of the most prominent forces in the music industry over the last two decades, the 35-year-old has turned heads with every step she takes and every sonnet she makes. Anything you say about Swift feels like an understatement for someone who has redefined the dictionary meaning of “era,

” and one glance at the Swiftie community proves words may never suffice to describe the Taylor Swift effect. However, despite being an open book to her fans worldwide, a lesser-known aspect of the Swifties is the Gaylors.

While Swifties have been the one-stop solution to all things Swift, are Gaylors the one and the same?

Taylor Swift is not just any pop star. She is an entity that breathes life into Swifties, a community comprising the ordinary and the extraordinary in equal measures. Although it is difficult to remain oblivious of Swifties for anyone who is part of the pop culture consciousness, what a good deal of people may not know about is the subpart of that community: the Gaylors. According to Intellect Discover, citing Brian Donovan’s Journal of Fandom Studies, Gaylors are

Swifties who analyze her lyrics through a queer lens

. 

As per the outlet, Gaylors are active within Swifties and not very different from the rest of the community. However, what differentiates them from the others is that they “produce subversive readings of Swift’s songs,”

compiling clues and pieces of evidence to prove the self-made billionaire

herself is “secretly queer.”

It turns out that the global speculations surrounding Swift’s orientation have led to the formulation of Gaylors, thriving in interpretations that shape personal identity and a sense of belonging. 

Read More: “GET AWAY FROM HER”–Justin Bieber Falls Prey to Swifties’ Rage As He Enjoys Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ on Social Media

While the community of Gaylors projects light on the larger-than-life impact Taylor Swift spreads, it contrastingly built some concerns over their crux of interpretation regarding her orientation.

Gaylors, a sub-part of the Swifties, is built on the idea that Taylor Swift may not be straight. And last year, The New York Times published a 5,000-word opinion piece, catalyzing a similar strategy of analyzing her songs through a queer lens to build baseless conjectures about her orientation. However, shortly after, the piece drew brutal backlash from readers and “associates

” of Swift (via CNN).

A member of Swift’s team blasted at the ethical lapses reeling out from the speculation. “Because of her massive success, in this moment there is a Taylor-shaped hole in people’s ethics,”

they said. They also pointed out that such a piece would not be dared to be written about male artists even with the presence of similar conjectures. In fact, the absence of examination when speaking about Swift showed the inherent lack of boundaries when shedding light on female artists. 

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Did you know about the Taylor Swift fandom called the Gaylors? Let us know in the comments below!