NY Times essay speculating over Taylor Swift's sexuality sparks backlash

Taylor Swift herself has never publicly indicated that she identifies as queer, although speculation has persisted for years. Photo: AFP

A lengthy essay speculating over superstar Taylor Swift's sexuality has triggered anger online, with some social media users calling for its retraction.

The 5,000-word guest column published in the paper's opinion pages suggests the wildly popular singer is sending veiled signals to her fans that she is queer, despite identifying publicly as straight.