Showing posts with label DADT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DADT. Show all posts
Monday, November 29, 2010
GaGa Continues to Stand Up For Gay Rights
She continues to fight for gay rights, no matter how busy or famous she gets. See her latest video she recorded today, once again about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal. Love her so much!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Madonna Finally Speaks Out About Gay Teen Suicides!
Finally! FINALLY! Madonna has been my all time favorite artist since I was 9 years old, but lately it hasn't felt like it. This is in large part because of the fact that she hasn't really made any statement whatsoever about any of the MANY gay rights issues floating around today. See, I feel connected to my favorite artists on many levels. I connect to their music for sure, but I also connect to them as people. This is the case for all four of my favorite artists (Madonna, Lady GaGa, Robyn and Kylie).
Lately, I have been majorly disappointed in Madonna. While younger artists, with more to risk one might argue, have been completely outspoken for gay issues like Prop 8, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the recent tragic string of gay teen suicides, Madonna has not said anything. Sure, she voiced her opposition to Prop 8 passing during her Sticky & Sweet concert in Los Angeles, but that was about it.
As an artist who owes a lot to the gay community and has been an outspoken advocate of gay rights in the past, her silence now was a bit disheartening. When everyone in the 80s was afraid of AIDS and labeled it a "gay disease," she was donating money from her concerts to AIDS charities (and continued to do so in the 90s). She popularized vogueing (a huge dance trend in gay clubs before she brought it mainstream), hired numerous gay dancers and even featured a gay pride parade in her documentary "Truth or Dare." But I was just a little boy then. Now that all these other gay issues that directly effect me are being discussed and debated, I was a bit disappointed that Madonna, my all time favorite artist and huge proponent of gay rights, remained silent. Until yesterday that is.
Yesterday, Madonna went on the The Ellen Degeneres Show (via satellite from New York) to talk about the recent gay teen suicides. She actually said, "I wouldn't have a career if it weren't for the gay community. I feel like it would be incredibly remiss of me to not say something." YES. Thank you! Madonna, the gay community has always been proud of you and looked up to you, almost as a spokeswoman for our causes. Thank you for stepping up to do so once again...we were scared for a second there you wouldn't. See the full, unedited interview below:
Lately, I have been majorly disappointed in Madonna. While younger artists, with more to risk one might argue, have been completely outspoken for gay issues like Prop 8, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the recent tragic string of gay teen suicides, Madonna has not said anything. Sure, she voiced her opposition to Prop 8 passing during her Sticky & Sweet concert in Los Angeles, but that was about it.
As an artist who owes a lot to the gay community and has been an outspoken advocate of gay rights in the past, her silence now was a bit disheartening. When everyone in the 80s was afraid of AIDS and labeled it a "gay disease," she was donating money from her concerts to AIDS charities (and continued to do so in the 90s). She popularized vogueing (a huge dance trend in gay clubs before she brought it mainstream), hired numerous gay dancers and even featured a gay pride parade in her documentary "Truth or Dare." But I was just a little boy then. Now that all these other gay issues that directly effect me are being discussed and debated, I was a bit disappointed that Madonna, my all time favorite artist and huge proponent of gay rights, remained silent. Until yesterday that is.
Yesterday, Madonna went on the The Ellen Degeneres Show (via satellite from New York) to talk about the recent gay teen suicides. She actually said, "I wouldn't have a career if it weren't for the gay community. I feel like it would be incredibly remiss of me to not say something." YES. Thank you! Madonna, the gay community has always been proud of you and looked up to you, almost as a spokeswoman for our causes. Thank you for stepping up to do so once again...we were scared for a second there you wouldn't. See the full, unedited interview below:
Friday, September 17, 2010
Lady GaGa Gives Back to Her Gay Fans
Next week is a big one for the gay community. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy regarding gays in the military is being voted on in the Senate after the House already voted to get rid of the law a few months ago. It just came out yesterday, however, that Senator John McCain was going to try and stop the repeal vote next week with a filibuster.
Lady GaGa had already spoken out in favor of the repeal (see her VMA red carpet appearance in the previous post), but now she's gotten super involved. Not only has she been fervently tweeting for her fans to call their senators, but she also recorded this video and posted it on youtube today:
I have to say, this really touched me. Lady GaGa has always been an incredibly outspoken advocate of the gay community. Not only does she consider herself bisexual, but she also feels so connected with gay people because she said that their friendships are always pure...they never want anything more of her than just her friendship.
What is more important, though, is that she really knows how to give back to her fans. She always said that the gay community really helped her become who she is and gave her this voice (which is completely true...I heard "Just Dance" at the gay clubs LONG before I heard it on the radio). So in return, she has explicitly said that she would not forget us and would use her voice to stick up for us. I think it's awesome that she has proven time and time again and that she really meant what she said and is really living up to her promise.
No other pop star in the past who is as famous as Lady GaGa is has ever explicitly advocated for the gay community as much as Lady GaGa has, despite the fact that their audiences have a large gay following as well. There is no doubt that artists like Cher and especially Madonna were around during much different times, and they did an incredible amount to show support for the gay community. But even they did not do so as often and as explicitly as GaGa.
She is rich and famous enough at this point that she does not have to rely on a small minority to remain successful. She could easily keep silent to not risk ruffling any feathers or upsetting any of her heterosexual fans. But unlike so many artists who make it to the top, she has remembered how she got there and has not kept silent. So thank you, Lady GaGa, for keeping your promise, for sticking up for me and people like me, and for giving me a voice when so many in the world try and suppress it.
Lady GaGa had already spoken out in favor of the repeal (see her VMA red carpet appearance in the previous post), but now she's gotten super involved. Not only has she been fervently tweeting for her fans to call their senators, but she also recorded this video and posted it on youtube today:
I have to say, this really touched me. Lady GaGa has always been an incredibly outspoken advocate of the gay community. Not only does she consider herself bisexual, but she also feels so connected with gay people because she said that their friendships are always pure...they never want anything more of her than just her friendship.
What is more important, though, is that she really knows how to give back to her fans. She always said that the gay community really helped her become who she is and gave her this voice (which is completely true...I heard "Just Dance" at the gay clubs LONG before I heard it on the radio). So in return, she has explicitly said that she would not forget us and would use her voice to stick up for us. I think it's awesome that she has proven time and time again and that she really meant what she said and is really living up to her promise.
No other pop star in the past who is as famous as Lady GaGa is has ever explicitly advocated for the gay community as much as Lady GaGa has, despite the fact that their audiences have a large gay following as well. There is no doubt that artists like Cher and especially Madonna were around during much different times, and they did an incredible amount to show support for the gay community. But even they did not do so as often and as explicitly as GaGa.
She is rich and famous enough at this point that she does not have to rely on a small minority to remain successful. She could easily keep silent to not risk ruffling any feathers or upsetting any of her heterosexual fans. But unlike so many artists who make it to the top, she has remembered how she got there and has not kept silent. So thank you, Lady GaGa, for keeping your promise, for sticking up for me and people like me, and for giving me a voice when so many in the world try and suppress it.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
2010 MTV Video Music Awards Wrap-Up
On Sunday night the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards were held, and it was a huge night for our beloved Lady GaGa. She won a total of 8 awards, including the biggest of the night, Video of the Year. You can find a bunch of videos of performances and acceptance speeches I particularly enjoyed after the jump.
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