Dear Lady Gaga, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand some of your wardrobe choices — like, um, the meat dress? — but I just have to write to tell you how much I appreciate your commitment to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi and trans) community. As a queer woman who spends a lot of time with members of the local community, I can tell you that we don’t get a lot of respect from the media — especially teens, who have to deal with all kinds of negative and exploitative representations, plus the mockery they get from their peers at school.
It means a lot to me to see a hugely successful pop singer publicly endorsing a charity to help homeless LGBT teens, and singing in her hit singles about gay rights and pride. I know that you have the influence to make your young fans think differently about sexual orientation — if they’re gay, to be more proud of it, and if they’re straight, to be more supportive of their gay, bi or trans peers. I hope that you’ll keep it up and continue to reach a wide audience and share your message that nobody should be mocked or marginalized just because of their gender or sexual orientation — after all, we were all “Born This Way.” Love, S.