What Is a "Gaylor"? The Controversial Taylor Swift Theory Fans Are Crashing Out Over

When you're a big star like Taylor Swift, it's natural that you're surrounded by conspiracy theories and controversial hot takes. Fans and critics alike are going to craft their own narrative and create their own theories on why you are the way you are. Taylor is particularly susceptible to this thanks to the existence of one group of fans, who call themselves "gaylors."

What exactly is a "gaylor"? Here's a look at the controversial Taylor Swift theory that some fans believe explain so many things about who she is when the cameras are off.

Conspiracy theories about Taylor are nothing new, but the gaylor fan theory goes beyond light-hearted and into tin foil hat territory. Not to discount that there might be some truth to it, although it seems unlikely. But the twists and turns used to justify the theory are often wild and illogical.

So, what are we even talking about?

The "gaylor" theory is the theory that Taylor Swift is actually gay or bisexual, and that she has dropped Easter eggs about the truth throughout her career in her songs and albums (per Know Your Meme). For instance, one theory suggests that "Lavender Haze" is a reference to being in a "lavender marriage," which is where a gay person marries a straight person for appearances, safety, or convenience (per Marriage.com).

But the theories don't stop there.

Gaylor fans dive into her lyrics and song titles, hoping to find hints of gay or at least bisexual longing or relationships, pointing to references and verses as being "from the male perspective."

But the gaylor fandom came crashing down when Taylor announced that she was engaged to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in August of 2025.

All over social media, gaylor fans are trying to rationalize the engagement announcement. Some fans have suggested that Travis is going to come out as transgender, meaning that Taylor would still be gay. Or that it's a lavender marriage, and both are gay with separate partners that they're trying to keep hidden.

Essentially, logic has gone out the window. For some, anyway. Others are just embracing the pivot and celebrating Taylor's joy, whatever they believe the truth is.

But what has Taylor said about this in the past? For the most part, she has avoided addressing the controversy head-on. However, she did allude to frustration over the speculation in a prologue for her album, 1989. She shared that she was tired of being pigeonholed into an inaccurate image as a "boy crazy" person and was tired of the "slut shaming." So, to avoid a media circus every time she spent time with a male friend, she focused on her female relationships.

Taylor explained that "dating like a normal young woman" made her the "target of slut shaming — the intensity and relentlessness of which would be criticized and called out if it happened today" (excerpts via Today).

She added, "The jokes about my amount of boyfriends. The trivialization of my songwriting as if it were a predatory act of a boy crazy psychopath. The media co-signing of this narrative. I had to make it stop. Because it was starting to really hurt."

Her theory was, "If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that, right? I would learn later on that people could and people would."

For instance, fans speculated wildly about her close friendship with Glee actor Dianna Agron. Who, when asked if she was the inspiration for some of Taylor's more romantic lyrics, responded, "Oh, if only!"

With Taylor happily engaged to Travis and unwilling to give credence to any rumors that she might be LGBTQ, it's safe to say that as far as the world should be concerned, Taylor is straight, or at least bisexual. While she has done some advocacy work for the LGBTQ community, she mentioned "not being a member of the community" in her efforts.

So the respectful thing would be to take her at her word. Unfortunately, the most ardent gaylors may need some time to come to terms with this.