For many Taylor Swift enthusiasts, the last day has been thrilling, as the pop sensation revealed her engagement to Travis Kelce on Tuesday. Nevertheless, it has been a peculiar day for Gaylors.

If you’re not acquainted with “Gaylor,” it typically pertains to fans who, by analyzing lyrics and observing the artist’s public life, speculate that Swift may identify as gay, bi, or not straight. It’s worth mentioning that Gaylor communities can serve as safe havens for LGBTQ fans without necessarily delving into speculations about Swift’s sexual orientation. Still, Gaylorism often entails the notion that Swift identifies as non-heterosexual.

A well-known hub for Gaylors is the r/GaylorSwift subreddit, boasting over 50,000 Swifties. This forum is a central location for Gaylor-related content, branding itself as a “space for thoughtful discussion and examination of Taylor Swift, including queer readings, themes, and motifs in her work and public persona.”

Considering the focus of r/GaylorSwift and similar forums, it’s easy to see why the engagement announcement was unexpected, as Swift is now officially engaged to a man.

The Gaylor community has always been a bit contentious. The previous year, a New York Times op-ed positing that Swift might not be straight ignited controversy.

Swift herself has responded to the speculation. In the liner notes of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), released in 2023, she remarked that Gaylor theories stemmed from “female friendships” that fans “sexualized” and “sensationalized.”

When Swift’s engagement was disclosed, Gaylors encountered ridicule. People swiftly monitored how Gaylors responded, and screenshots from r/GaylorSwift went viral as jokes were made at their expense.

Fewer than 24 hours after the engagement news broke, r/GaylorSwift became private.

While I’m not a frequent visitor, the Wayback Machine reveals that the subreddit was once public. The smaller subreddit r/Gaylor_Swift remains accessible, at least as of this writing.