The New York Times is facing criticism for publishing an article speculating on Taylor Swift's sexuality.

In an opinion piece titled "Look what we made Taylor Swift do", editor Anna Marks alludes that through her music, Taylor Swift has conveyed coded messages that she is part of the LGBTQ+ community. According to her, Taylor is queer.

Queer – a term for people who are not heterosexual or who do not identify with their sex assigned at birth. People can also identify as queer if they don't feel that the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender fully represent them.

The article has sparked backlash from New York Times readers as well as Swift's associates, according to CNN.

A member of Taylor's team told CNN: "This article would not have been allowed to be written about Shawn Mendes or any male artist whose sexuality has been questioned by fans."

"There seems to be no line that some reporters won't cross when writing about Taylor, no matter how untrue and inappropriate it is," the person added.

Swift has embraced the LGBTQ+ community in the past, calling her concerts a "safe space" for LGBTQ+ people and publicly defending them, but has never identified as a member of the queer community.

The New York Times declined to comment on the essay.