LADY GA-GAY

Whilst pursuing my daily discoveries for news on the web, I stumbled across a video of Lady Gaga, doing what seemed to be an inaugural speech. I clicked on the link, curious to see if she had made yet another provoking and daring performance. Instead, there was Gaga, addressing a crowd of people, outside a building too similar to the White House for it to be a coincidence.

Dressed less outrageously than in her usual costumes, opting for a white blouse, black dungarees and circular dark glasses, Gaga spoke on behalf of all gays around the world, campaigning for equality at the National Equality March in Washington. Just a few days ago, Gaga continued her support for the cause, this time, at a human rights campaign dinner in New York, where she sang Imagine by John Lennon. Yoko Ono, Lennon’s former lover agreed that the performance was moving and powerful, confirmed by her tweet “"Dear Lady Gaga, Thank you for singing ''Imagine''. Hearing that made me choke up. You are so beautiful! In Sisterhood and love, Yoko."

What I find unusual about her plea is that she is campaigning for a cause which she herself is not affected by, but that includes the majority of her fanbase’s sexuality. It makes me question whether she actually cares for the debate in question, or whether she’s just trying to get more popularity with the people whom are evidently attracted to her music. Gaga continued to say the gays would carry on pushing Obama and his administration to bring his promises to a reality. It is interesting that she used the suffix “we” even though she continues to eschew questions on her own sexual tendencies. The speech was overall thoughtful and compelling and she seemed to genuinely care for the issue. She addressed the president personally as she said “Obama, I know you are listening.” Then she paused, and screamed into her microphone: “ARE YOU LISTENING?!!”. The crowd cheered unanimously.

The aim is to convince Obama to end discrimination against gays and also let them serve openly in the military, following a pledge made in a speech last Saturday to the Human Rights Campaign, US’s largest gay rights group. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Sunday that Congress will need to muster the resolve to change the "don’t ask, don’t tell policy" — a change that the military may be ready for."I think it has to be done in the right way, which is to get a buy-in from the military, which I think is now possible," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Those marching also listened to noteworthy activists such as Cynthia Nixon, from HBO’s "Sex and the City" who hopes to marry partner Christine Marinoni next year; and Judy Shepard, whose son Matthew was killed because he was gay. During a rally at the Capitol, keynote speaker Julian Bond — chairman of the NAACP — linked the gay rights struggle to the Civil Rights movement, saying gays and lesbians should be free from discrimination. For many people out there seeking to lead normal lives despite their sexuality, this is may not be such an exaggerated comparison.

Some activists doubted the march would accomplish much. They said the time and money would have been better spent working to persuade voters in Maine and Washington state, where the November ballot will include a measure that would overturn a bill granting same-sex couples the benefits of marriage. A bill introducing same-sex marriage was introduced last week by the District of Columbia Council and is expected to pass. March organizer Cleve Jones, creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and a protege of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, said he had initially discouraged a rally earlier this year. But he and others began to worry Obama was backing away from his campaign promises."Since we’ve seen that so many times before, I didn’t want it to happen again," he said. "We’re not settling. There’s no such thing as a fraction of equality."

The proud singer echoed Jones as she declared, “They say that this country is free, they say that this country is equal, but it is not equal if it’s sometimes”. It’s a fair remark exclaimed with conviction by the questionably bisexual singer. Although it may just be a wise move for her career ensuring she sells many records for the years to come, there is no doubt the singer is helping draw attention to an importance cause. Following a long line of celebrities who campaign for equality, it's now Lady Gaga’s turn to catalyse the change that America’s Gays long for, and have been promised.