Arts & Entertainment
Watch: Taylor Swift’s new music video celebrates LGBTQ pride
Local drag queens Tatianna and Riley Knoxx land cameos

Katy Perry and Taylor Swift in ‘You Need to Calm Down’ music video. (Screenshot via YouTube)
Taylor Swift released the music video for her new single “You Need to Calm Down” which features plenty of LGBTQ pride and a slew of celebrities.
Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Rippon, Todrick Hall, Billy Porter, Hannah Hart, Dexter Mayfield , Chester Lockhart, Laverne Cox, Adam Lambert, Ciara, Ryan Reynolds, Hayley Kiyoko, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband Justin Mikita and the cast of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” — Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and Tan France, all make cameo appearances in the video.
In one scene, RuPaul walks by a line of drag queens holding up a crown.
“And we see you over there on the internet. Comparing all the girls who are killing it
But we figured you out. We all know now we all got crowns. You need to calm down,” Swift sings.
The queens are all impersonating popular female singers and rappers. They include local queens Tatianna as Ariana Grande and Riley Knoxx as Beyoncé. Trinity The Tuck appears as Lady Gaga, Delta Work as Adele, Trinity K Bonet as Cardi B, Jade Jolie as Taylor Swift, Adore Delano as Katy Perry and A’keria C Davenport as Nicki Minaj.
All of the drag queens start fighting and Swift, dressed as french fries, finds Katy Perry, dressed as a hamburger, in the crowd. The two pop stars embrace with a hug symbolically calling an end to their famous feud.
At the end of the video, Swift urges fans to sign a petition for Senate support of the Equality Act.
Swift has been showing her support for the LGBTQ community all month. At the start of June, Swift wrote an open later to Sen. Lamar Alexander from her home state of Tennessee to support the Equality Act. She also gave a surprise performance at Stonewall Inn along with Ferguson.
Since the release of “You Need to Calm Down, which name drops LGBT media watchdog organization GLAAD, donations to GLAAD have increased. Fans have been showing their support by donating $13 to the organization, a nod to Swift’s favorite number.
Watch below.
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)












Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
