Why It’s Important To Stand Up For Taylor Swift During Her Defamation Trial

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Taylor Swift has definitely been a problematic figure in modern day feminism. While she often has a “pro-girl power” stance, she’s also been accused of being one of the biggest cultivators of White Feminism, ignoring intersectionality altogether. She’s definitely not the figure most feminists turn to for guidance.

But now that Taylor Swift is on trial for defamation after she accused a man of groping her, there’s been a whole lot of silence. Worse, there’s a whole lot of people mocking her. Why? Because she’s Taylor Swift, of course.

But newsflash: Taylor Swift is still a woman, and she’s still been sexually assaulted, and she’s still being sued because she spoke up about being sexually assaulted. It doesn’t matter how much you don’t like her as a person — her case is important.

In 2013, Swift hosted a meet-and-greet with fans, which DJ David Mueller attended. During a photo together, Mueller allegedly stuck his hand up her skirt, a claim her bodyguard recently backed up in court. Swift went on to ban Mueller from her concerts and notified his employer, KYGO, of the situation. In 2015, Mueller filed a defamation suit against Swift, claiming he never touched her and that because of her, he lost his job. Today marks the fourth day of the trial.

It baffles me that there are people in the world who can seriously turn Swift’s trial into a joke. Because whether or not you like her, the truth is that Swift is experiencing something nearly every woman goes through in her lifetime, and more often than not, it goes unpunished.

Justice for Taylor Swift is justice for women everywhere. There is so much silence that surrounds sexual assault in many of its forms. Women don’t talk much about it, either because of the fear of not being believed or even embarrassment (yep, because people actually make you feel like you should be embarassed about it).

And yet still, people say this is all just one giant publicity stunt, possibly to sell more albums. Um, what?

https://twitter.com/danaschwartzzz/status/895674388699152384

Not only did Mueller sue HER and not the other way around, but can we please get rid of this terrible narrative that women only accuse men of sexual assault for attention? What does it take for someone to believe you? Photo evidence?

OH WAIT.

I don’t care if you don’t like Taylor Swift. I don’t care if you think she’s a fake feminist. Because the fact of the matter is this: if you’re actually making jokes about Swift and this case, you’re no more of a feminist than she is. Sexual assault is sexual assault, no matter who it happens to.

So next time you want to crack a joke about how Taylor Swift “deserved” it or criticize her for being “dramatic”, just remember — it could easily have been your friend, your family member, or even you.