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Lady Gaga Responds To Religious Protests With Emotional Speech During Manila Concert (Video)

Posted 5/22/12 3:24 pm EST by in Concerts, Gay Rights, Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has had a rough couple of weeks. What should have been a celebratory kick-off to her "Born This Way Ball" has been marred in controversy, as the pop superstar has encountered protests from religious groups at nearly every turn.

The tour's first show in Seoul, South Korea, was marred by protests from Christian groups saying Mother Monster was "obscene" and could "taint" young people with her performance. The protestors even managed to get the Korea Media Rating Board to elevate the age rating for the concert from 12 to 18, prohibiting minors from seeing the show.

She encountered similar troubles in the Philippines, where her May 21 and 22 concerts in Manila were met with similar derision from Christian groups claiming her lyrics are blasphemous and that the sentiment behind songs like "Born this Way" promotes "promiscuity" and homosexuality. A few days before the first concert, anti-riot police were forced to stop hundreds of protestors from descending on the venue. Gaga responded to the hubbub today on Twitter, saying, "And don't worry, if I get thrown in jail in Manila, Beyonce will just bail me out. Sold out night 2 in the Philippines. I love it here!"

Then there is her planned June 3 show in Indonesia, which is entirely different animal in that the show is courting not only protests and governmental interference, but Gaga is being threatened with violence by radical Islamic groups in the country. "The Jakarta situation is 2-fold: Indonesian authorities demand I censor the show & religious extremist separately, are threatening violence," Gaga tweeted earlier today.

She's responded briefly on the controversies on Twitter, but now the pop star finally addressed the controversy at length. During her concert today in Manila, Gaga spoke to the audience about the protests, saying, "I just feel like, you know, so many people have been protesting and it really doesn't bother me truly because I know that there has to be change, but for all those kids all over the world that take their lives when they're so young because they feel bullied or they're afraid because they're gay and they don't want to tell anybody, don't you think that some of us should stand up and say the god**n truth?"

Read on to see the video and read Gaga's in-concert statement in full. Read More...

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Day Of Silence Aims To End LGBT Bullying In Schools

Posted 4/20/12 11:16 am EST by in Activism, Gay Rights

Today is the Day of Silence, a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence to encourage administrators and their classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in their schools.

A 2009 survey by GLSEN found that nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and more than 30 percent have missed at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. Two of the top three reasons students said their peers were bullied because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, and the point of Day of Silence is to use the power of silence to make anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools.

Of course, the recent cyber bullying trial of former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi, who was found guilty of hate crimes and invasion of privacy on March 16 for broadcasting a consensual sexual encounter between his roommate Tyler Clementi and another man leading to Clementi's suicide, sparked a national debate about LGBT bullying and how to most effective combat it. The Day of Silence is a way for LGBT advocates to take a stand without saying a word.

So if you are able, take the vow today and for more information on the Day of Silence, visit dayofsilence.org.

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Listen To This Unbelievable A Cappella Version Of Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Recorded For Charity

Posted 4/13/12 3:46 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Lady Gaga

Lady gaga

Get ready to be amazed!

Three Ithaca College a cappella groups (Ithacappella, Premium Blend & IC VoiceStream) have teamed up with Pentatonix, winners of NBC's reality competition "The Sing-Off," to record an absolutely unbelievable version of Lady Gaga's empowerment anthem "Born this Way" for charity … and while you might think you hear synths and other instrumentation on the sample below, you'd be wrong, it's all a cappella. Listen:

The song is available on iTunes with the proceeds being equally divided between Gaga’s anti-bullying Born This Way Foundation and the NYC's Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest organization serving homeless LGBT youth.

Last summer, after making a series of anti-gay remarks at a comedy show in Nashville, "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan visited the Ali Forney Center to speak with homeless LGBT youth about the issues we face, and later that same day, MTV News had the opportunity to talk to Carl Siciliano, the head of the Ali Forney Center, and Jayden, a homeless teen helped by the facility, about Morgan's visit and the difficulties gay teens face from bullies and unaccepting families.

Both Gaga's Born This Way Foundation and the Ali Forney Center are hard at work trying to make things better for LGBT youth. So listen to the amazing "BTW" cover above and if you are into it, check it out at iTunes to support a good cause.

See our interview with Siciliano, Jayden and other LGBT rights advocates below. Read More...

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Madonna Plans To Address Anti-Gay Russian Law During St. Petersburg Concert

Posted 3/21/12 3:01 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Madonna

Madonna

People have been buzzing over whether Madonna, a long-time LGBT rights ally (understatement?) and activist, would address the passage of a new law in St. Petersburg, Russia, that forbids the "promotion of homosexuality" by making discussion of the topic illegal in almost all instances and regardless of the context during her planned concert there in August. In an editorial, the New York Times encouraged Madonna to cancel the show entirely.

Well, she's not changing her concert plans, but she also doesn't plan to back down from the controversial legislation either.

"I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed," Madonna said in an email statement to Bloomberg. "I'm a freedom fighter."

The new rule, which is aimed at protecting minors from "the false perception that traditional and nontraditional relationships are socially equal," was signed into law on March 7 by St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. Gay news blog Towleroad reports the law is far-reaching and essentially prohibits "participation in/organization of pride parades and gay rights protests, as well as the maintenance of a gay website, the donning of a gay pride pin, the sporting of a gay pride bumper sticker" and much more. The site also calls the legislation a "foggy, subjective law that can only be enforced selectively," meaning that without any explicit guidelines as to what constitutes "propaganda," law enforcement officials in socially conservative St. Petersburg essentially have free reign to bully LGBT citizens and allies under the broad umbrella of protecting the public from things they don't need to hear – you know, like how being gay is perfectly normal and how all people should be treated with equal respect.

The law has, understandably, drawn a great deal of criticism. "I don’t run away from adversity," Madonna told Bloomberg. "I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity." Read More...

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Jordan Knight On Kirk Cameron's Post Anti-Gay Comments: 'Seriously?'

Posted 3/5/12 11:39 am EST by in Gay Rights

Kirk Cameron is back in the headlines after he voiced his feelings about the gay community in an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, saying that being gay is "unnatural."

"I think that it's - it's - it's unnatural. I think that it's - it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization," he said. "Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don't think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don't."

His statements angered another heartthrob of the 1980s, New Kid On The Block Jordan Knight, who only had this to say on Twitter in response: "Seriously Kirk?"

Jordan, whose fellow New Kid and brother Jonathan Knight came out publicly last year, later added, "Get right with yourself on the inside... Ya won't have to take the fight to the world.. #justsayin."

And he isn't the only one standing up against Kirk and his anti-gay stance. GLAAD also quickly responded to Kirk’s comments. "In this interview, Kirk Cameron sounds even more dated than his 1980s TV character," Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs at GLAAD, said in a statement. "Cameron is out of step with a growing majority of Americans, particularly people of faith who believe that their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be loved and accepted based on their character and not condemned because of their sexual orientation."

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Ellen's 'Haters Are Her Motivators,' Star Addresses Conservative Boycott Controversy

Posted 2/8/12 4:04 pm EST by in Celebrity, Gay Rights

Well, that settles that.

Ellen DeGeneres used her daytime talk show today to address the controversy that erupted after conservative group One Million Moms urged a boycott of J.C. Penny after it signed DeGeneres as its new celebrity face.

The good-time girls from One Million Moms are very upset that J.C. Penny went with Ellen. The group, a project of the American Family Association, which according to GLAAD has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, just doesn't know what to do with itself now that a lesbian, gasp, will represent their favorite mid-priced clothing purveyor.

Watch:

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In a statement on its website, the group said it would urge people not to shop at the retailer because hiring DeGeneres revealed that it does not share the same "values." Yawn.

Ellen hit back, explaining that her own values included "honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people they way you want to be treated and helping those in need."

"To me, those are traditional values," she added.

Related:
>>> Conservative Group Upset That Ellen DeGeneres Is New Face Of J.C. Penny
>>> What Are Your Thoughts On Schweddy Balls? One Conservative Group Doesn't Like Them One Bit

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Conservative Group Upset That Ellen DeGeneres Is New Face Of J.C. Penny

Posted 2/2/12 3:08 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights

Ellen

Ugh.

The good-time girls from the conservative group One Million Moms are very upset that Ellen DeGeneres, beloved talk show host and least offensive person on the planet, is the new face of J.C. Penny. The group, a project of the American Family Association, which according to GLAAD has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, just doesn't know what to do with itself now that a lesbian, gasp, will represent their favorite mid-priced clothing purveyor.

"Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families," reads a statement on One Million Moms' website. "DeGeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there."

We're sure they will.

It's not really all that surprising that these kill joys are behind the anti-Ellen campaign. After all, they were clutching their pearls when Ben & Jerry's announced last year that they'd created a flavor called "Schweddy Ball," in honor of the famous "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring Alec Baldwin as Pete Schweddy, who makes up a fictional treat called "Schweddy Balls" for the ladies of the fictitious National Public Radio program "Delicious Dish."

Naturally, they tried to boycott the flavor. These people. Read on for more and to watch "SNL's" "Scweddy Balls" skit, you know, just because. Read More...

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Nick Jonas Talks Gay Marriage, Stage Nudity

Posted 1/19/12 12:15 pm EST by in Gay Rights, Jonas Brothers

As Nick Jonas prepares for his debut in “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying,” he’s opening up to The Advocate about his history on Broadway, as well as his future on The Great White Way.

When asked if he’d ever consider going au natural on stage, like his “How To Succeed” predecessor, Daniel Radcliffe, he didn’t completely rule it out. “I love theater and I understand the difference between acting and who you are as a person. I don’t know that it’s something I would’ve done in the end, but I definitely would’ve considered it,” he said laughing. “You have to be open to everything.”

Nick does seem pretty open to a lot of stuff. He says that growing up in Broadway shows has always meant that he’s comfortable around gay people. While he clarifies that none of the JoBros are gay, he adds that they totally love their gay fans. “It was definitely cool when we realized that, because the more you can grow your audience, the more people you can impact. They’ve been incredible over the years,” he said. “My brothers and I totally look forward to meeting them, because they really respond to our style, and it’s cool to see how our influence has impacted what they’re wearing. They also give really good gifts at our meet-and-greets — hats, scarves, and other things. They always have good taste.” Read More...

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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."

Read More...

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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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