Lady Gaga Has A Million(ish) Reasons That Will Inspire You To Give Back

With her mother Cynthia Germanotta, Lady Gaga started the Born This Way Foundation in 2012 to create a braver and kinder world.

The artist’s foundation has all kinds of programming targeted towards teens and young adults to help their mental health, with current programs including encouraging fans to do an act of kindness for 21 days and another that focuses on in-person training to teach kids how to handle their own mental health or help a friend who is struggling.

In 2019, one of Gaga’s superfans showed up to what he thought was getting a makeover with her her new Haus Laboratories.

And while he did get a sneak peek, he also was in for a huge surprise when Gaga showed up!

While reading an emotional letter addressed to Gaga, the cosmetology student said that, “I couldn’t talk about my sexuality at school for fear of being bullied or violence, but your lyrics in ‘Born This Way’ spoke to me,” only for the artist to pop up behind him to meet the fan in person!

The touching interaction was captured by Allure and will make you reach for the tissues.

Lady Gaga’s music, from “Poker Face” to “Born This Way,” has always had outspoken messages, but one of the most touching was when she wrote and performed “‘Til It Happens To You.”

The ballad, which was featured in the college sexual assault documentary The Hunting Ground, tackles issues like abuse and assault.

Tt the 2016 Oscars ceremony, the star performed the song and was joined on-stage by survivors of assault, resulting in a powerful and moving moment.

In 2017, it seemed like Lady Gaga was entirely unstoppable. We had just seen the star give one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time, had just seen her in American Horror Story: Roanoke and saw her release her album Joanne.

However, behind the scenes, Gaga was in pain.

The artist bravely shared in her documentary Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two an intimate look at her life, which included her dealing with chronic pain occurring from her onset of fibromyalgia.

Gaga’s willingness to show us that part of her life makes it easier for others to have conversations and open up about their own pain, health and disability, allowing others to consider and educate themselves, too.

Mental health is extremely important to the star, and we appreciate that she takes any platform she can to continue to talk about it.

When Lady Gaga won a Grammy for A Star is Born in 2019, she addressed the issue in her acceptance speech, stating, “I just want to say I’m so proud to be part of a movie that addresses mental health issues, they’re so important.”

She continued that, “A lot of artists, a lot of artists deal with that. And we got to take care of each other. So, if you see somebody that is hurting, don’t look away. And if you are hurting, even though it might be hard, try to find that bravery within yourself to dive deep and go tell somebody and take them up in your head with you.”

When the Woolsey fires rocked the Malibu region of Los Angeles, many had to evacuate from their homes to safety.

Lady Gaga was among those who left her home, but she also visited Pacific Palisades High School, a Red Cross evacuation site, to lift spirits and spread positivity.

The actress handed out gift cards, took photos with fans and encouraged people to take care of their mental health, saying, “Please do not discount your mental health during this time. It is so important that you take care of what is going on in your head and in your heart.”

(Trigger warning: suicide/self-harm)

While we’re excited to see Lady Gaga’s collaboration with the World Health Organization for One World: Together at Home, it’s not the first time the star has worked with the organization.

In fact, in 2018. the performer and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus co-wrote an op-ed for The Guardian addressing the need for governments to place mental health at “the top of their agendas.”

The letter, which shortly followed the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, stated, “Suicide is the most extreme and visible symptom of the larger mental health emergency we are so far failing to adequately address.”

“Stigma, fear and lack of understanding compound the suffering of those affected and prevent the bold action that is so desperately needed and so long overdue.”

Lady Gaga has long stood up for the LGBTQIA+ community, including when she went to the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.

At the event, Gaga emotionally declared that the community is the ”definition of courage” and stated, “I will not stop in pursuit of this liberation. I wish to see no more homeless youth from this community. I denounce ostracizing people for who they are.” 

In addition, the star asked for people to inquire on a person’s preferred pronoun, to raise their voice by voting and to embrace the Stonewall legacy.

Lady Gaga doesn’t have any time for people telling women what they should or should not do!

This past Valentine’s Day, Gaga chose to propose to herself in protest of the tradition that, during a Leap Year, women are “allowed” to propose to men.

In a comment to Klarna, a shopping service, Gaga stated, “Anyone who knows me knows that I believe any person of any gender identity should be able to express any act of love to anyone else on ANY day of ANY year.”

Wearing a ring by her longtime pal B. Åkerlund, she added, “So in an act of defiance of this outdated tradition, I decided to say yes to MYSELF! And wear this ring today with pride to remind myself and everyone that the only permission you need to love comes from within you.”

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation puts an emphasis on being kind and brave, so we were thrilled when we heard that the singer will become an author this fall with a book of stories showcasing the kindness and braveness of others!

In a description for the book, it promises in that readers will, “Meet young changemakers who found their inner strength, who prevailed in the face of bullies, who started their own social movements, who decided to break through the mental health stigma and share how they felt, who created safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and who have embraced kindness with every fiber of their being by helping others without the expectation of anything in return.”

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Lady Gaga stepped up and helped raise $35 million to fight back.

Over the course of a week, Gaga reached out to tech companies, corporations and philanthropists to help fund the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Fund, which helps give health workers PPE and provides more testing resources.

As the coronavirus pandemic is currently impacting the world, many of us are nervous.

However, Lady Gaga has been a light during the uncertainty by joining with Global Citizen and the World Health Organization to curate the One World: At Home Together concert that is bringing together artists like Taylor Swift, Elton John, John Legend, Billie Eilish and more to help educate on the situation as well as highlight frontline health workers.