CNN —Taylor Swift kicked off the Chicago leg of her “Eras Tour” Friday night with a powerful Pride month message in support of the LGBTQ community. Republic Records“We can’t talk about Pride without talking about pain,” she said, pivoting from her celebration of the community to the realities of the current political climate. Rachel Wisniewski/The Washington Post/Getty Images“We can support as much as we want during Pride month but if we’re not doing our research on these elected officials – Are they advocates? Concluding her speech, Swift told the audience that she loves them and wished everyone a “happy pride month.”As Swift celebrated with her Chicago audience, hundreds of ticketless Swifties showed their support by gathering outside of Soldier Field on Saturday night to sing along with the show. The gathering has become a pattern along various “Eras Tour” stops, beginning in May when thousands of ticketless Swifties flocked to sing and dance outside of Philadelphia’s Lincoln Field.

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Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, “, ” Swift, ” Taylor Swift, ”, Midnights, Phil Bredesen, Jim Cooper, Shayna Weachter, Cecelia Zschunke, Riley O'Brien, Rayana, Taylor Swift's, Rachel Wisniewski, we’re, –, Swift, Swifties, ticketless Swifties Organizations: CNN, Chicago, Chicago’s, Republic, Tennessee, Representatives, Lincoln Financial, Washington Post, Soldier Locations: Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s