A life-sized cardboard cutout of Taylor Swift is being auctioned off for charity in memory of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey.
The cutout became a landmark for Manchester tram users after being displayed in a flat window looking out across the tracks near the Cornbrook Metrolink stop since 2017.
When flat owner Red Redmond said that they were moving to Sheffield, hundreds of people rallied to save the cutout of the pop star so that it could remain in place.
BBC News reports that Redmond has since decided to auction “Tram Taylor” for the charity Mermaids, which supports gender variant and transgender youth, in memory of 16-year-old Ghey who was stabbed to death in a park in Warrington in February.
The cutout is estimated to fetch up to £150, although Redmond has said that they’re hoping the auction will raise more than the £500 that they’ve raised previously for Mermaids.
| An iconic cardboard cutout of @taylorswift13 in Manchester, named “Tram Taylor” is set to be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Mermaids charity, which supports transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse youth in the UK.
pic.twitter.com/kJ3bqFyFPM
— Taylor Swift Updates
(@swifferupdates) April 5, 2023
Redmond, a self-confessed Taylor Swift fan who was given the cardboard figure, said that Ghey had a “big impact” on people. They said that the outpouring of support with vigils held across the UK and Ireland in response to her death “really touched” them.
The comedian previously said that the cutout had “been there so long, she’s just become a bit of an icon”.
Redmond has purchased a new cutout. A clause in the tenancy agreement at the Cornbrook flat means that the new tenant(s) must display it in the window. They said they “wanted to keep the legacy going as long as possible”.
In other Swift news, fans think that they’ve ascertained that the pop titan has been arriving onstage for her ‘Eras’ tour shows via a janitor cart.
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