Lady Gaga on Friday said during her
first public appearance since undergoing hip surgery in February that
the gay community had “saved me.”
Lady Gaga made her remarks at the Gay
Pride Parade's Kick Off Rally in New York City.
“I would like to thank everyone from
the Supreme Court to every legislator and political leader that has
ever stood with us,” she told the crowd. “I am so fortunate to
have been welcomed by all of you into the LGBT community and to this
family … Our evolution as LGBT citizens always continues to change
and we see that the further we are able to reveal and share our
lives, the further we move into the hearts and minds of other
Americans.”
“When I was in high school and grade
school and younger, I was considered to be an outcast and I just
couldn't find my place.”
“There was a particular crowd who did
accept me. There was a particular crowd who made room for me at
their table, who held me up when I felt I couldn't, who loved me for
exactly who I was. It was you.”
Lady Gaga said the gay community had
“saved” her from feeling “damaged.”
“You saved me, my friends in the LGBT
community time and time again. And I saw God for the first real time
in all of you. You were sent to me like angels to protect me and to
save me. It was you who understood my need to hide behind the wigs,
the glasses, the glamour, the clothing … I get to see God every day
when I'm with you.”
Waving a rainbow flag, she performed
the Star Spangled Banner. (The
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