Lady Gaga showed her unequivocal faith in her fans and the Gay community at large as she rallied the crowd with a moving speech and a passionate acappella rendition of the National Anthem at the New York City 2013 Pride Kick Off Rally on Friday night.
A tearful thank you: Lady Gaga waved a rainbow flag as she rallied the crowd at the NYC Pride Rally in Manhattan on Friday night
Fans made sure to squeeze as close to the stage as they could, showing their adoration for the Bad Romance singer as she made her surprise appearance onstage, recounting tales of being bullied as a teen and of how she has been warmly embraced by the gay community.
'I'm here tonight to honour my heroes and luckily I have many to look up to -- and many to look at tonight,' she began, her eyes covered in a thin pair of glasses made to look like a black stripe across her eyes.
'Embracing her fantasy': The Bad Romance singer
wore an eclectic pair of sunglasses as she thanked her fans for
accepting her unconventional looks
'We are not a niche - we are a big giant part of
humanity': The 27-year-old talked of her lifelong connection with the
LGBT community
Fans called back at her with chants of 'welcome back' and 'we love you,' which were quickly followed by intense cheers from the rest of the crowd.
The native New Yorker made her appearance on the same day that an appeals court in California ruled that same-sex marriages within the state can begin immediately and just days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defence of Marriage Act, which had previously defined marriage in the country as only 'between a man and woman.'
Standing tall: Friday's appearance is her first in months after undergoing hip surgery in February
Bullied: Lady Gaga brought up her past experiences with bullying, which she said plagued her well into her career
She thanked her fellow activists for inspiring a 'movement that was in a place of feeling lesser than to now a visible, powerful, organized community that demands full equality, full protections and safety guaranteed to us under the law.
'We want nothing less than every other American,' she exclaimed, waiving a rainbow coloured flag in her right hand.
Packed house: Fans shared her speech on social media
Dressed in a sleeveless black pant suit and a conventional blonde shoulder length wig, the Edge of Glory singer launched into a tale of her childhood battles with her image, at times feeling betrayed by her 'Italian heritage.'
'I wasn't naturally thin like most of my female classmates. My Italian heritage showed its stronghold in my nose and I found it very, very hard during this time to maintain any healthy friendships and healthy sense of self,' she revealed.
She opened up about falling victim to depression, which lasted through her 20s and through the early years her career, which she claimed was marred by sour memories of being taken advantage of by 'men in the business.'
Activist: In 2011, she founded the Born This Way Foundation to 'empower youth'
'It's our win': Her
speech comes days after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of
Marriage Act and ruled against California's anti-same sex marriage law,
Prop 8
The Paparazzi singer, born Stefani Germanotta, established her own non-profit organization in 2011 called the Born This Way Foundation aimed at empowering youth and taking action against bullying.
Amid her meteoric rise to fame, Lady Gaga has been a proud advocate for equality and spoke of how her connection with the LGBT community was forged at a young age in dance school and thanked them for accepting her eccentricities -- the same ones that have made her a breakout star.
'You understood my need to hide behind the wigs, the glasses, the glamour, the clothing -- the fantasy that set me free. My passion for theatre, my passion for art, my worth as a woman.'
Lady Gaga said that the driving theme behind her last album Born This Way was a reminder to the 'whole world of the cultural relevance and the importance of this community.'
'We are not a niche, we are part -- a big giant part -- of humanity. It's time for us to be mainstream,' she reinforced.
Ending on a high note: After her speech, Lady Gaga launched into an acappella version of the National Anthem
Close to her heart: The speech comes after a week of devoting her Twitter account to a conversation on the repeal of DOMA
'We are the continuum. We are ongoing. We continue the spirit of the first official Gay rally in 1970 in New York, one year after Stonewall. And although this weekend is a time for victory, I am a citizen of New York and I demand the right to safe streets; the violence that has taken place against LGBTs is unacceptable, here and anywhere. Enough is enough.'
She continued: 'Tonight will be our night and now we can marry it if we want to. It's our win -- doesn't it feel nice to win?'
With a final thanks to her fans and waiving a rainbow flag, she broke into an acappella version of the National Anthem.
Joining the conversation: On Tuesday the Paparazzi singer urged lawmakers to overturn the 1996 federal statute
Civil rights: The fight for LGBT equality has
drawn many comparisons in American history to the Civil Rights movements
for African-Americans and other ethnic groups
A long fight: Lady Gaga has included LGBT themes
in her concerts, sharing a snap of two of her male dancers dressed in a
bride and groom outfit during her Born This Way Ball Tour
'Let's go DOMA. Supreme Court lets make history & stand for MARRIAGE EQUALITY! #GetItDoneThisWeek #TheWholeWorldIsWatching,' she posted on Monday.
After the decision was handed down on Wednesday morning, she wrote: 'We stand tall today. #DomaStruckDown So many fought for so long. Be proud, the prejudice are now the minority.' She paired the post with an image from her Born This Way Ball tour in which two male dancers are dressed in bride and groom attire.
She also retweeted a statement by a follower that 'the world is changing' with the response: 'isn't it amazing to witness?'
