From The Fame to Chromatica, Lady Gaga has shown many different faces as she has evolved as an artist, but one aspect of her career that has always remained constant is her enduring support for the LGBTQ community. The beginning of the 21st century has been characterized by turbulent social change and as the world has slowly become more inclusive over the past few decades, more and more queer people are coming to terms with their identities and loving themselves for who they are. Unfortunately, the world still has quite a way to go before true equality is achieved, however, individuals like Lady Gaga have been using their wide reaching platforms to advocate for change and amplify marginalized voices.

In 2009, Lady Gaga received the first award of many for her musical achievements at Canada’s MuchMusic Video Awards for International Video of the Year with her “Poker Face” music video. In her short acceptance speech, she famously thanked “God and the gays” for making her dreams a reality and encouraging her to continue creating music. This moment, however small, gave the world a taste of what they could expect from Lady Gaga in the future as her queer-dominated fanbase of “monsters” continued to grow.

Many people are familiar with the controversial “meat dress” that Lady Gaga wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards where she would accept her award for Video of the Year with “Bad Romance,” but few people know the story behind this bold outfit and the defiant statement that the iconic singer was trying to communicate. This dress was worn in protest of the military’s anti-LGBTQ “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, restricting openly queer individuals from serving in the armed forces. Lady Gaga explained in a later interview that “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones.”

In early 2011, Lady Gaga released “Born This Way” as the first single off of her eponymous album. The song was an instant classic that celebrated self-love, queerness and empowerment. It was in this song that Lady Gaga finally addressed the LGBTQ community directly with the lyrics, “No matter gay, straight, or bi/ Lesbian, transgender life/ I’m on the right track, baby/ I was born to survive.” Sir Elton John himself claimed that the song was the new “I Will Survive” and the “gay anthem” for a new generation of people on their road to self-acceptance and pride.

Lady Gaga has dedicated incredible amounts of time and effort giving back to the queer community through vocal leadership as well as organizational work. In 2011, Lady Gaga co-founded the Born This Way Foundation to help remove the stigma around mental health and support LGBTQ youth by providing them with safe and supportive spaces. Lady Gaga’s tremendous impacts as both an artist and an equal rights activist will continue to have resounding effects on the music industry as well as younger generations for years to come.