King County Council names July 18-25 ‘Taylor Swift Week’

Staff reports:

On July 18, the King County Council honored music star Taylor Swift and her tour stop in Seattle by proclaiming the week of July 18-25 as “Taylor Swift Week” in King County.

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci brought the proclamation to the council to celebrate not only Swift’s musical and cultural contributions as an artist, but also her role modeling for young women and girls.

“Taylor gives a voice to young women and uses her platform to make their voices heard, both in their personal lives and in the public realm. She encourages fans to register to vote and get involved in issues they care about. She leads by example, taking stands for the LGBTQ+ community and against sexual harassment,” Balducci said. “In declaring July 18th through 25th Taylor Swift Week in King County, we’re thanking Taylor for being a positive role model and showing Swifties that we value each and every fan and their unique voice.”

Balducci invited seven young Swifties to read the proclamation, with each taking an album title-themed clause.

The proclamation reads as follows:

“WHEREAS, Taylor Swift was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1989 to Andrea and Scott Swift; and

WHEREAS, Taylor Swift has a fanbase of over 1.3 billion people worldwide who will love her for Evermore; and

WHEREAS, Taylor Swift has a Reputation for being a master of words with her enchanting tales of Folklore, debuting 13 albums, earning her an honorary doctorate from NYU, and receiving more than 500 awards to date; and

WHEREAS, Taylor Swift has been Fearless in standing up for herself in the face of harassment, serving as a role model for women and girls; and

WHEREAS, Taylor Swift has encouraged young people to Speak Now by registering to vote and exercising the fundamental right of citizenship; and 65,000 people registered to vote within 24 hours during the 2018 midterm elections after she urged her fans to register; and

WHEREAS, Taylor Swift’s tour has encouraged Lovers of the Earth to take public transportation to her concerts, significantly boosting ridership in cities throughout the US; and

WHEREAS, on July 22nd and July 23rd of this year, Taylor Swift will be performing two Midnights with sold-out shows in King County;

NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Metropolitan King County Council, proclaim the week of July 18-25, 2023, as TAYLOR SWIFT WEEK”