The Lady doth protest Arizona's immigration law - Lady Gaga, that is.
Gaga went political about immigration reform at a sold-out Arizona concert on July 31, telling cheering fans that she found the situation in Arizona "disgusting" and a "state of emergency."
"We have to actively protest," Gaga said. "And the nature of the Monster Ball [concert tour] is to actively protest prejudice and injustice and the bulls*** that is put on our society."
Although Gaga promised to "peaceably protest" immigration in Arizona, she went on to tell fans that she "will yell and I will scream louder," according to the New York Daily News. Gaga told her adoring fans that she staunchly supports immigration because "if it wasn't for all of you immigrants, this country wouldn't have sh**."
(Video contains profanity.)
Gaga's remarks were spurred by SB 1070, Arizona's immigration law which partially went into effect July 29. Gaga sported "Stop SB 1070" on her left forearm and later referred to the law as an "odious, unconstitutional and racist law," according to a Rolling Stone article.
Toward the middle of the concert, Gaga also said that several "really big rock and rollers, big pop stars, big rappers," had called her and asked her to boycott Arizona by not performing in the state. Gaga's response: "Do you really think that us dumb f***ing pop stars are going to collapse the economy of Arizona?"
"The Sound Strike" is a group of artists including Kanye West, Rage Against the Machine and several others who have refused to perform in Arizona in protest of the law. Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha told Rolling Stone contributor Daniel Kreps that SB 1070 promoted racial profiling and that if other states followed Arizona's example, America would be headed "towards a pre-civil rights era reality."
Gaga's political comments should come as no surprise. The pop singer has repeatedly vocalized her gratitude and support of the LGBT community during concerts and through the media, especially amid heated gay marriage debates. Gaga has also shown support of the pro-choice movement after collaborating on a line of condoms, the proceeds of which went toward Planned Parenthood.
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