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Lady Gaga Pays Tribute To Little Monster Jamey At Trevor Project Live in LA

Posted 12/5/11 2:06 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga was one of the many A-listers (if not the Mother Monster of A-listers) at the Trevor Project Live event over the weekend in Los Angeles.

At the event, she accepted her "Hero" award, telling the room, "I appreciate this award so much. But truthfully, I am not the hero. The hero is Jamey." Gaga accepted the award from the family of Jamey Rodemeyer, a Gaga fan who committed suicide 11 weeks ago. “I want my fans and people all over the world to know that there’s always somebody that’s listening," she added. "But I want them to know they’re listening before it gets too late."

During her speech on Sunday, Gaga touched on her wishes to someday make bullying a hate crime. The Born This Way foundation founder added, "I learned very long ago that my time here on this earth would not just be for pop singing because I was very blessed to have beautiful fans, like I have in Jamey, like I will always have in Jamey. Thank you so much this award tonight. This means more to me than any Grammy I could ever win."

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Easy Ways To Get Involved In the Fight Against AIDS

Posted 12/1/11 3:26 pm EST by in Activism

Today is World AIDS Day and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There remains no vaccine or cure for the disease, which has killed over 30 million people.

"Learning With Science, Uniting For Action" is the theme of this year's World AIDS Day and, per our friends at MTV Act, "reminds us that while researchers and scientists hustle for treatment options, the rest of us can bind together with information, support and human kindness."

There are countless ways you can get involved in the fight against AIDS and MTV Act has rounded up some of the simplest things you can do to help make sure AIDS soon becomes a thing of the past. From a simple retweet to creating a panel on the digital AIDS quilt, it's never been easier to get involved. For a full rundown, visit MTV Act.

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GetUp! Action For Australia Campaigner Reveals Details Of Acclaimed 'It's Time' Viral Video

Posted 11/30/11 10:50 am EST by in Activism, Gay Rights

Getup Marriage Ad

By Damian Vaca

Over the weekend while many Americans enjoyed a tryptophan-induced nap and 5K turkey trots – our friends Down Under released a video that is on its way to getting worldwide attention. Late last week, the Australian non-profit organization Getup! Action for Australia, released the 2-minute video, which some are saying is hands down the greatest video supporting marriage equality that has ever been made. The clip, titled "It's Time," has already been viewed over 2.25 million times on YouTube.

Paul Mackay, Marriage Equality Campaigner for GetUp! Action for Australia, tells MTV News, "To say we’re surprised [by the attention this video is getting] is an understatement. When we were working on scripting, we knew the idea was good, and when we finished production we knew the video was good, but you never know how a piece of work will be received."

"We’re still aiming for a mention from Ellen and Gaga," he says, "but we’re pretty darn excited with what we’ve had so far."

"The scripting process started quite simply, by identifying key moments in any relationship: a meeting, a first date, sharing time with friends, moving in, meeting parents, obstacles and hardship and eventually, a proposal," Mackay says. "We were then able to draw those moments out, and since we were shooting on such a tight schedule and budget, had to make up a lot of it as we went. The end result meant that many of the most powerful reactions and scenes were unplanned, but simply the hard work of our director of photography and leading man identifying casual moments that could be captured as they arose. We ended up shooting the entire thing over a weekend then spending a similar amount of time picking out the best moments. And we couldn’t be more proud of the result."

Read on for more and watch the video here. Read More...

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Miley Cyrus And Our Other Favorite Celebrity NoH8-ers

Posted 11/29/11 9:52 am EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is a girl with a cause (or nine)!

Yesterday, we gave Miley a little grief for her inability to stop her friends from recording her saying and doing silly things but perhaps we were a little too hard on the 19-year-old pop star because time and time again she steps up to prove her heart is always in the right place.

She recently unveiled a video for a remixed version of her track “Liberty Walk” to support the Occupy Wall Street movement, and now photographer Adam Bouska has posted a behind-the-scenes photo to his Facebook profile of Cyrus posing for the NoH8 campaign. NoH8 is a silent protest campaign that supports same-sex marriage equality.

Cyrus has been long been a vocal advocate for gay rights, going so far as to tattoo an equal sign on her middle finger in a showing of her support for marriage equality. After she posted a pic of her new ink on Twitter in late July, some of her followers criticized the political statement she was making but Cyrus did not back down, saying, “Where does it say in the bible to judge others? Oh right. It doesn't. GOD is the only judge honey. GOD is love.” Later, she added, “If u don’t stand 4 something you’ll fall for anything.”

Tell it, Miley!

The young pop star’s decision to further involve herself in the NoH8 movement got us thinking about a few of our other favorite stars who have taken a stand for LGBT equality. Read on for a few more and why we think their commitment goes above and beyond the rest. Read More...

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Watch Event For Young Entrepreneurs Live From The White House

Posted 11/28/11 1:52 pm EST by in Activism, Politics

From MTV Act:

Today at 2PM, MTV will be at the White House for a joint event with the Young Entrepreneur Council where entrepreneurs like Dina Kaplan, founder of blip.tv, and Priceline founder Jeff Hoffman will join 150 Washington, DC-area high school and college students to promote entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment

MTV News' own Sway will be moderating a conversation with the entrepreneurs, so be sure to check out the live stream of the event. For more information, visit MTV Act Blog, and WhiteHouse.gov.

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Looking To Make A Difference? MTV And The White House Want To Know What You Are Up To!

Posted 11/3/11 9:15 am EST by in Activism, Barack-Obama, Contest!

Worldwide, the voice of young people has been impacting politics more than ever. It's a movement Barack Obama has been embracing since well before he took office as President of the United States and his commitment to the youth of our great country has not wavered. Now, Pres. Obama is challenging students across the country to share their ideas as part of the White House's Campus Champions of Change contest.

"The White House Champions of Change program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the country that represent President Obama’s vision of out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building the rest of the world through projects and initiatives that move their communities forward," the White House said. "Many of the most innovative and effective ideas are coming from young people on college campuses across the country."

Entering the competition is easy. Full details and the entry form for the competition can be found on the program's website and for more information on the competition, visit MTV Act blog.

In early 2012, the five teams with the most public support (yeah, the public will decide which campus programs they think are best! Democracy!) will visit the White House and will collaborate with mtvU and MTV Act to create features on their projects that will air on mtvU and be featured on MTV.com. The winning team will host an episode of mtvU’s popular program, Dean's List.

If you are a socially conscious college student looking to affect change, this competition is for you!

For more, visit MTV Act.

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Gorillaz Mastermind Damon Albarn Heading To The Congo For New Charity Album

Posted 7/21/11 3:36 pm EST by in Activism, Music

Damon Albarn

By Zachary Swickey

There are few notable artists that keep as busy as Damon Albarn. The mastermind behind trip poppers Gorillaz and English rockers Blur has revealed plans for a new album that will be recorded entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo over just a one week period.

With Gorillaz on hiatus, Albarn has enlisted a slew of artists for the project, including some of the usual suspects: London DJ Darren Cunningham, old Gorillaz chum/production genius Dan the Automator, and XL label boss Richard Russell, who produced the late Gil Scott-Heron’s critically acclaimed final album. The effort is being recorded to benefit Oxfam’s long-time work in the Congo. Other expected contributors include Marc Antoine, Jo Gunton, Jneiro Jarel, Kwes and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.

This will be Albarn’s second experience producing an album for Oxfam. He created a collaborative album with local artists of Mali in 2001, Mali Music. According to Russell’s Twitter, Albarn will once again team up with locals for his new Congo-based disc. Read More...

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Help NKOTBSB's Danny Wood Support Cancer Research!

Posted 6/24/11 5:00 pm EST by in Activism, Contest!, NKOTB

Danny Wood is using his celebrity for a good cause that's very close to his heart. The NKOTBSB member has hooked up with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to raise money for cancer research. The New Kid is auctioning off a custom painted 2004 Harley Davidson Heritage to help raise funds, and the winner not only gets the bike, but also a bevy of other cool prizes to satiate their boy band appetite.

"My mother passed away 12 years ago from breast cancer and when [the New Kids] got back together, I asked the guys if we could do something to raise money for the Komen Foundation," he told MTV News. "We started selling tank tops [and] we've raised a half a million dollars."

When the New Kids and the Backstreet Boys decided to hit the road together this year, he knew he had to step up his charity game. "I kind of wanted to do something a little bit bigger," he said. "The bike's on display and you can buy raffle tickets and you can win my Harley and a trip to see us."

To learn how to get involved and enter the raffle, read on. Read More...

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Michelle Obama Continues Africa Trip With Speech At Young African Women Leaders Forum

Posted 6/24/11 12:30 pm EST by in Activism, Obama

FROM MTV ACT BLOG:

After a trip to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mrs. Obama and the first daughters made their way to historic Regina Mundi Church in the South Western Township, or Soweto. There, the First Lady paid homage to the young activists who fought for change a generation ago, and to 76 young women making those same strides today.

The fight began 35 years ago when a group of students peacefully protested a law that would require them to take their courses in Afrikaans. Their desire to get the education they deserved was met with retaliation, leaving hundreds dead.

“And it is because of them that we are able to gather here today,” Mrs. Obama said. “It is because of them that so many of these young women leaders can now pursue their dreams. It is because of them that I stand before you as First Lady of the United States of America.”

Mrs. O went on to explain the importance of Africa's role in the future of all nations. Sixty percent of Africans are under age 25, and two-thirds of South Africans are under age 30. The African youth of today, no doubt, will play a huge role as future leaders--combating corruption, building a strong democracy, battling disease and poverty, and creating jobs.

For more, visit MTV Act Blog, and check out video from Mrs. Obama's trip to Africa below. Read More...

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A Brief Recent History Of Celebrities Saying Anti-Gay Things Then Apologizing On Twitter

Posted 6/23/11 4:15 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Twitter

Chris Brown is the latest celebrity to issue a Twitter mea culpa to the LGBT community after using a gay slur. On Tuesday, the singer lashed out at photographers in Los Angeles after getting a ticket for parking illegally, saying, "Y'all n***as is weak. Did you call them to try and film me. Y'all n***as is gay!"

He joins The Voice judges Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, both of whom have had to do that same thing in the last month or so.

In his apology, Brown said, “I have total respect for gay community and my intention was not to insult anyone in it.” We might even almost believe Brown if we hadn’t been down this road with him before. In late December, Brown attacked former B2K singer Raz-B on Twitter after he made a critical comment, saying, “N***a you want attention! Grow up n***a!!! D**k in da booty ass lil boy.”

He apologized then too, and all was forgiven. Whatever.

Because there’s no more modern way to convey that you didn’t mean to reinforce hate and encourage violence against an entire segment of the population like a 140-character or less explanation of your actions, the Twitter apology is the new thing. Read More...

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