The singer performed her hit "Shake It Off" at the Pride Month cabaret show.
Taylor Swift kept her Pride Month celebrations going on Friday with a performance at New York City's historic Stonewall Inn!
The singer surprised fans at the AEG and Stonewall Inn Pride Celebration at the Greenwich Village bar -- the site of the infamous 1969 Stonewall riots -- on Friday evening, performing her hit "Shake It Off," for a packed audience of thrilled Swifties.
"Thank you for having me Stonewall, and happy Pride!” Swift said as she took the stage during Jesse Tyler Ferguson's cabaret show, following performers like Sara Bareilles, Broadway stars Gavin Creel and Jessica Voss, and Orange Is the New Black's Lea DeLaria. The singer told the crowd that she had heard "Shake it Off" was a favorite karaoke tune of Ferguson's, who joined her on the final chorus of the song, as the crowd cheered them on.
"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," the Modern Family star tweeted after the surprise show. "@taylorswift13, you are a gem. Thank you for everything you do for the LGBTQ community. We ❤ you!"
Swift's performance and new single, "You Need to Calm Down" -- which makes references to GLAAD -- comes on the heels of several Pride Month demonstrations from the pop star, who penned a letter in support of the pro-LGBTQ Eqaulity Act on June 1, expressed her support for the LGBTQ community during her Wango Tango performance, and recently made a "very generous donation" to GLAAD in honor of Pride Month.
In "You Need to Calm Down," Swift calls GLAAD out by name in the second verse, which addresses anti-gay protesters. "Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD? (You could be GLAAD) / Sunshine on the street at the parade / But you would rather be in the dark ages / Makin' that sign must've taken all night," she sings on the track. "You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace / And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate / 'Cause shade never made anybody less gay"
In a statement to ET, Anthony Ramos, GLAAD's Director of Celebrity and Talent Engagement, praised Swift's lyrics and support of the LGBTQ community.
“Taylor Swift is one of the world’s biggest pop stars. The fact that she continues to use her platform and music to support the LGBTQ community and the Equality Act is a true sign of being an ally," Ramos said. "'You Need to Calm Down' is the perfect Pride anthem, and we’re thrilled to see Taylor standing with the LGBTQ community to promote inclusivity, equality, and acceptance this Pride month."
The Stonewall Inn was a mafia-owned establishment in the 1960s, well-known for being popular among some of the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ community. Police raids of gay bars were common at the time, but when the police tried to raid the Stonewall in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the patrons fought back, escalating to a violent demonstration that continued the next night and throughout the week. The Stonewall riots, as they are now known, are considered to be one of the turning point events that marked the start of the modern fight for LGBTQ rights in the United States. The site of the original Stonewall Inn has since been designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark and National Monument.
Swift's latest song is the second single off her upcoming album, Lover, which she announced on Thursday via Instagram Live. The album is due out Aug. 23, while the video for "You Need to Calm Down" will debut on Monday's Good Morning America.
See more on Swift's new music in the video below.
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