Lady Gaga performs tribute to Jamey Rodemeyer | LGBTQNATION.COM
Entertainer Lady Gaga on Saturday performed a tribute for Williamsville, N.Y. gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer, at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.
Jamey, 14, committed suicide last week after enduring years of anti-gay bullying at school and online. He was last to rest on Saturday.
Click the link above to watch Lady Gaga’s tribute.
Lady Gaga says she will meet Barack Obama over anti-gay bullying | gayagenda.com
Lady Gaga says she plans to meet President Obama to discuss homophobic bullying after one of her young fans killed himself. Jamey Rodemeyer, 14, from Buffalo, New York, killed himself om Sunday after posting an online tribute to the singer.
Lady Gaga to join in Rome gay pride event
The U.S. Ambassador to Italy says Lady Gaga has accepted an invitation to participate in a gay pride parade in Rome’s Circus Maximus – the closing event of 2011 Euro Pride. David Thorne said in a statement Monday he is “very proud to have an Italian-American artist of her stature” come to the Italian capital. He quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying human rights are gay rights.
The pop star was invited by Thorne and the local organizers of Euro Pride, which takes place each year in a different European city
Lady Gaga’s new album “Born This Way” sold a million copies in its first week.
IDAHOT: ‘Huge progress’ in gay rights | metro.us
“I care about social and human rights,” Lady Gaga told Metro when plotting this issue, “because it affects my fans.” She couldn’t have picked better timing: Today is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, a day dedicated to raise awareness for gay rights worldwide.
To find out which countries need more awareness than others, we asked someone close to the ground: Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission. His organization advances human rights via advocacy on the local level, reporting from every continent.
Three More LGBT Youth Groups in Dire Need of Gaga’s Spare Change
After Gaga performed at a benefit concert last night, the Robin Hood Foundation announced that the SCO Family of Services, a non-profit group that shelters homeless gay kids, got the most Facebook votes in Gaga’s social media competition, thus taking home the biggest chunk ($500,000) of the monster million dollar donation.
SCO is the most efficient non-profit of the five in the running (using the ratio between dollars raised and dollars that actually go to helping kids). 93 cents of every Gaga dollar will go towards setting up family-style living situations for homeless youth and working to bring together biological families that have been severed by rejecting LGBT children.
With state and national funding for LGBT organizations shrinking faster than Gaga’s theological credibility, affecting both rural areas as well as more affluent urban metros, we want to remind the monied sorts that there are plenty of worthwhile gay youth groups in the hinterlands that lack access to black-tie galas and benefit concerts.
Here are a few that could use some serious funds:
- The Memphis Gay & Lesbian Center, serving the community since 1989, has begun asking for donations to stay afloat. According to the executive editor, Will Batts, the center needs to $45,000 by the end of May. That’s less than five percent the money Gaga donated.
- The North County LGBT Coalition in San Diego hopes to open its own center and get 4,000 disenfranchised LGBT youth involved in strong communities. The group has already raised $7,400 towards the $10,000 project.
- Based in Washington, the National Youth Advocacy Coalition just announced that it will cease operating May 13. We called the executive director, Asha Leong, to ask how much money the non-profit would need to stay afloat. We will update you as soon as we hear back.
Know of any local LGBT non-profits in dire needs of funds?
Video: Lady Gaga premieres Born This Way
What do you think? About the song? About the video?
Target agrees to stop funding anti-gay groups following Lady Gaga deal
“That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I’ve ever had in a business meeting,” Lady Gaga said. “Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they’ve made in the past … our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those [antigay] groups.”
Gaga in Tears Over Repeal
Lady Gaga, who has vocally pushed for repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” is ecstatic that the ban on openly gay soldiers was struck down Saturday.
Gaga, currently touring Europe, took to Twitter to express herself.
“Can’t hold back the tears+pride. We did it!i Our voice was heard + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS.
Today I am so proud to be American. I wish I was home so I could throw a Parade. We are on the way … to full equal[ity].”
The pop superstar included a picture of her holding a sign reading “Full Equality.”
Gaga has given speeches and filmed videos in support of repeal; she also had gay soldiers escort her to this year’s Video Music Awards.
Lady Gaga releases anti-DADT video
As the Senate gets closer to a possible “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” vote, Lady Gaga is doing her part. The musician released a video asking her fans to call their senators. As you know Ms. G has been working the DADT repeal front. This past September she brought servicemembers to the Video Music Awards. After the red carpet, Gaga went to Portland, Maine to gave a speech at a rally.
The diva’s appeal to her fans comes on the same day the Defense Department releases its DADT study. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen will conduct a report press briefing this afternoon. On Thursday and Friday, the Senate Armed Services Committee plans to have its hearings on the study.
“The stakes for repeal happening this year couldn’t be higher,” said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. “It is critical that repeal advocates be urging their senators to act in December to pass legislation repealing ‘Don’t Ask’ before Congress goes home for the year.”
Sarvis puts a metaphorical target on Sen. John McCain’s back, who doesn’t really understand the nuts and bolts of the policy. That makes sense though. He is being a good water boy for the Family Research Council.
“A Pentagon report shows a clear majority of service members are okay serving side by side with their gay comrades. Sen. John McCain, however, rejects those findings and insists repeal language be stripped out of the defense bill. He is bullying Democrats to continue this discrimination and give in to his outrageous demands.”
Soldiers Impacted Under 'DADT' Accompany Lady Gaga to VMAs
I snapped this screenshot a few minutes ago, as Lady Gaga appeared on the VMAs white carpet with the Mike Almy, former U.S. Air Force Major discharged under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy; Stacy Vasquez, former U.S. Army Sgt. First Class discharged under DADT; Katie Miller, a top West Point cadet who resigned in August in protest to DADT; and David Hall, former U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. discharged under DADT.
Said Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network about the appearance:
“Lady Gaga’s recognition of these fine patriots casts a spotlight on the unjust burden that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ imposes upon the brave men and women who defend our country every day, and further underscores why the Senate must swiftly act to get rid of this despicable law for good. With expected votes on the Senate floor later this month, advocates of open service still have time to contact both their senators and urge them to show support for all our veterans by voting to end DADT.”
Lady Gaga tweeted: “Silks, fabrics, shoes + jewels, fashion dreams + breaking rules. Real heroes on my arm, tonight, is for us monsters, and our fight. X”
