Whether or not one agrees with all of her views and/or her tactics, Lady Gaga has been and continues to be a huge advocate of LGBT equality and she isn't afraid to use her fame or fortune to proverbially put her money where her mouth is. I was very impressed with her statements at the National Equality March in October 2009 when I first got to see her from a close perspective thanks to my Bilerico Project press credentials. Since then, she's spoken out on DADT repeal and other issues including anti-gay bullying. With the influence she welds with younger individuals, I applaud her continued efforts to advance our cause. Her most recent foray was an Obama fundraiser where she apparently spent $38,500 for a ticket where she'd be in close proximity to the president. ABC News has some details (Note: Some of the comments on the story by freepers are disturbing and demonstrate that many in the deranged far right want it to remain open season on LGBT students and citizens):Lady Gaga was among the guests at a $35,800 per couple Obama fundraiser tonight at the home of Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and David Goldberg in Atherton, Calif.
At the event, which took place under a tent in Sandberg’s yard, Gaga reportedly wore a black dress scalloped high plunge back and high heels. Her blond hair was upswept, with black flowers and black veil sweeping down back of hair.
According to a source present in the tent fundraiser, Gaga asked a question during the Q&A. She first thanked the president for what he’s accomplished, then read from what she said was a letter from a fan about the suicide of another fan who had been subjected to bullying.
Before the dinner, Gaga came through the photo line with her manager. She and Obama reportedly spoke for two minutes, with many others in the room.
Gaga’s attendance at the fundraising event comes after the singer tweeted that she would be meeting the president and intended to discuss youth bullying with him in relation to the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, the 14-year-old student who took his own life last week after years of bullying.
The Advocate has other details on Lady Gaga's pro-LGBT activism, including these excerpts:
This isn't the singer's first brush with Washington. For example, she spoke at the National Mall ahead of repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," called for repeal of the policy repeatedly, and exchanged tweets with Senate majority leader Harry Reid on the issue.
Gaga had said recently via Twitter that she intended to meet with the president and pledged to talk about the death of Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old boy who committed suicide after repeated bullying at his school. Rodemeyer, a big fan of Gaga's and self-professed "little monster," was buried this weekend in a "Born This Way" T-shirt.
Gaga dedicated a moving performance of "Hair" to him on Saturday at the I Heart Radio concert in Las Vegas.
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