WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift broke her policy silence on Monday with fans and commentators splitting over whether one of the biggest pop stars should disclose her political leanings.
The 28-year-old Swift remained far from the political conflict in the United States, unlike her more outspoken political counterparts like Katie Perry and Pinochet, who support the Democratic Party and Republican supporters of Kid Rock.
But Swift has reported 112 million followers at Instagram as supporting Democratic candidates in Tennessee and voting for them in November's midterm elections.
"I was reluctant in the past to publicly express my political views, but because of the many events I have experienced in my life and witnessed by the world in the past two years, I feel very different about it now," Swift wrote.
"I can not vote for someone who will not be prepared to fight for the dignity of all Americans, regardless of color, gender or who they love," Swift said.
She said she would vote for Democrats Phil Bridesen in the Senate and Jim Cooper elections to the House of Representatives.
Swift's comments earned 1.5 million fans on her InStagram page, but she angered many conservatives, especially in rural music, starting as a teenager and making her way to win 10 Grammy Awards.
"What I liked about Taylor Swift was that she was away from politics," said Charlie Kirk, founder of the non-profit conservative student organization Turning Point for Fox News.
George Thackey, the former Star Trek actor, was among those who welcomed Swift's announcement ahead of the November election, which is expected to be polarized.
"No friends, things got so bad that Taylor Swift had to say something," he wrote on Twitter.
Swift is currently on a global tour to raise support for her best-selling album in 2017 and will be a live broadcast at the Los Angeles Music Awards on Tuesday.
