A photo of a handwritten letter from Taylor Swift to an Irish gay fan has gone viral on Twitter.

The letter was sent to Andrew Mooney, who has just completed a PhD. In the letter, Swift commends him for his “bravery” in “choosing to live and love… even when it isn’t easy”.

Mooney’s photo of the letter has received over 20,000 likes which he captioned:

“Thank you [Taylor Swift] for taking the time to write me such a beautiful message. You have been an inspiration to me for so many years and I can’t put into words how much this means to me. You have changed my life.”

In the letter, Taylor congratulates Mooney on completing his PhD, writing:

“This is EPIC!! I saw how supportive you’ve been of my music over the years and was so touched.

“Thank you so much. I’m also so proud of you for the bravery you’ve shown in your personal life, choosing to live and love honestly even when it isn’t easy.”

Thank you @taylorswift13 for taking the time to write me such a beautiful message. You have been an inspiration to me for so many years and I can’t put into words how much this means to me. You have changed my life. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ERGCmk2vkC

— Dr. Andrew Mooney (@andymooney13) August 29, 2020

Speaking to GCN, Mooney said Swift’s support of the LGBT+ community has helped him to “live openly and proud”:

“Her music has helped me through a lot of crazy emotions as I have grown up and fully embraced who I am. Her support of the LGBT+ community has encouraged me to live openly and proudly, reminding me that you can love whoever you want.

“Having such a supportive role model is so important in these challenging times, and I cannot thank her enough for both her support of the LGBT+ community and for taking the time to congratulate me. She has changed my life in so many ways and I know she has done the same for others.”

Taylor Swift has been criticised in the past for not using her platform to speak about LGBT+ rights.

In 2019, she became vocal on the subject with the release of the music video for her song, You Need to Calm Down, which CNN calling it “Taylor Swift’s most political move yet.”

The video featured countless LGBT+ icons and featured a call to action which asked her fans to write to their senators about the Equality Act.

Her support of the LGBT+ community faced criticism from both sides, with a Fox News presenter accusing her of “virtue signalling” and queer singer Christine and the Queens commenting that she was wary of Swift’s use of “queer aesthetic”.

A petition started by Swift to show support for the Equality Act received over 800,000 signatures.