Pop singer Lady Gaga speaking at
EuroPride 2011 in Rome criticized the gay rights records of
governments in Eastern Europe and the Middle East
The 25-year-old Born This Way
singer made her remarks on Saturday at the city's ancient Circus
Maximus stadium. Afterward she performed two of her hit singles, the
AFP reported.
“I stand here as a woman of the world
and I ask governments, with you, worldwide to facilitate our dream of
equality,” she told the crowd.
“Let us be revolutionaries of love
and use our very strong human powers to save lives and encourage
unity around the world,” she added. “We're all from the same
DNA. We were just born this way.”
Lady Gaga spoke after an estimated one
million revelers participated in a giant Gay Pride Parade through the
streets of Rome. Warsaw's hosting of the event last year drew a
meager crowd of 8,000.
Many in the crowd criticized Pope
Benedict, a
vocal opponent of marriage equality, and the government of Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi for their opposition to gay rights. While
most Western European countries offer either civil partnerships or
marriage for gay and lesbian couples, Italy offers neither.