LADY GAGA

Lady Gaga is a bisexual American singer, songwriter and actress. Since reaching global acclaim in 2008, Gaga constantly cites the LGBTQ+ community as the foundation of her success. “The turning point for me was the gay community," she told MTV in 2009. "I've got so many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and they really lifted me up. They'll always stand by me and I'll always stand by them.”

Gaga’s LGBTQ+ activism has spanned her career. She has spoke at many rallies, such as the National Equality March in Washington in 2009 and the Service Members Legal Defense Network in Maine in 2010. That same year, she attended the MTV Video Music Awards accompanied by four gay and lesbian former members of the United States Armed Forces who had been unable to serve openly under the US’s "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which banned open homosexuality in the military. More recently, she publicly opposed President Donald Trump’s transgender military ban and mobilised her 77 million Twitter followers in the #WontBeErased campaign which opposed changing the definition of “sex” in America to exclude transgender people.

Interestingly, Gaga has a strong Christian faith - something people often use as a basis for homophobia. Once again showing her allyship, Gaga said at Vegas concert “I am a Christian woman, and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice, and everybody is welcome".

Aside from her activism, Lady Gaga has shown support for the LGBTQ+ community through her music. Her 2011 song “Born This Way” has become an anthem within the community and contains the lyrics “No matter gay, straight, or bi / Lesbian, transgender life / I'm on the right track, baby / I was born to survive”. “Poker Face” is reportedly about Gaga being bisexual and exploring relationships with both men and women.

In 2012, Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germonotta, set up the Born This Way Foundation, which is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and working with them to "make the world kinder and braver". The Foundation prioritises the mental health and wellness of young people by working to promote kindness and open and honest conversations about mental health, validating the emotions of young people, and eradicating the stigma around mental health.

Lady Gaga is a Certified Proud Icon because she unashamedly supports the LGBTQ+ community at every chance she gets. Her activism and music have promoted queer rights and have undoubtedly helped the gay rights movement become more mainstream in a modern world.