Lady Gaga thanks LGBTQ+ community for ‘changing the world for the better’ at iHeartRadio awards

Pop superstar Lady Gaga thanked the LGBTQ+ community for its “bravery” and took aim at ageism in the music industry as she was honoured at last night’s (17 March) iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Queer rap star and “Anxiety” hitmaker Doechii welcomed Mother Monster to the stage to give her the Innovator Award, but took a moment to reflect on how the “Disease” singer had influenced her growing up.

“I was considered weird but it’s OK, ‘cos things worked out. As a kid that identified as an artist, as queer, as a Little Monster – Lady Gaga wasn’t just a pop star: she was a lifeline,” Doechii shared.

“Gaga taught us that it was OK to be our real selves, to try new things, to try anything, to speak out and to create. Gaga was and always is new, fresh and different. And not only is that OK, but it’s ideal.”

Arriving on stage, Lady Gaga – who recently dropped her critically acclaimed seventh studio album, Mayhem – admitted to feeling a little unsure about receiving an award celebrating her entire career, describing it as “a hard thing to get [her] head around”.

“On the one hand I feel like I’ve been doing this forever and on the other hand, I know I’m just getting started. Even though the world might consider a woman in her late thirties old for a pop star, which is insane, I promise that I’m just getting warmed up,” the 38-year-old stated.

The 14-time Grammy Award winner went on to thank some of her biggest music icons growing up, including David Bowie, Grace Jones, Madonna, Elton John and Cher, before sharing a sweet nod to her large LGBTQ+ fan base.

“Thank you to my Little Monsters. Thank you for always seeing me so clearly, from The Fame to Mayhem. Because you saw me, I learned to see myself,” she said.

“And to the LGBTQ+ community, you taught me bravery, before the world was ready to listen. You have changed the world for better and your courage fuels mine every single day.”

She rounded off, urging: “To every artist that’s told they are different, complicated and too much, please, never change. The world doesn’t need another copy it desperately needs your original.”

While Lady Gaga is known as one of the most outspoken advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, she has spent much of her Mayhem album campaign speaking about the demonisation of transgender people.

At the Grammys in February, after accepting the Best Pop Duo accolade for “Die With A Smile” with Bruno Mars, she insisted that trans people aren’t “invisible” and “deserve love”.

She’s since expressed her upset at seeing the community faced with “violence” following Donald Trump’s election win, amid his raft of anti-trans executive orders.

“What I would say first and foremost is what trans people are being faced with in this world is completely unfair, wrong, and there’s this violence that’s taking place on a daily basis in their lives,” Gaga told DJ Zane Lowe earlier this month.

“I think that we all need to support trans people and each other to know that they deserve to be supported and loved and protected and lifted up.”

Mayhem is out now.

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