Lady Gaga via the bornthiswayfoundation website:
I’ve said this to the fans time and time again, whether it be in person or in tweets, as well as the through the message and campaign of the Born This Way Foundation. My mother and I are passionate about
tolerance, acceptance, and kindness, and I’ve made it a point early in my career to make it known that this is what I stand for as an artist.
While it may be difficult at times to hear the things that people say
and write about me, or the nature of the industry that builds us up to
tear us down, I feel the need to address you all here on behalf of the
Born This Way Foundation.
Sending threats of any kind, using hateful or abusive language, and
the provoking of others on the internet is not supported by me or
anything that I stand for. What I’ve seen transpiring is wrong and
upsetting to me, and I’ve made it very clear how I feel about equality
and compassion.
I know how angry you feel sometimes, and I know that when they say things about me you feel that they are saying them about you as well. But music is about love, and is about sharing in the magic of theater. Although pop culture and society have become more negative and critical of the artist over the years, by engaging in this negativity
you are allowing it to spread.
I ask you to take a pledge with me to continue the change toward
positivity, and to recognize that this behavior is wrong. We are stronger than this. We know what we stand for, and what we stand for is bravery. I know this because what I see on the internet is not what
I see at my shows. People deal with their insecurities in many
different ways. The anonymous nature of social media has made it easy for many to vent their anger by bullying others with no recourse or
accountability. But this is not a healthy way to handle your emotions.
This is exactly what my mother and I aim to teach with the Born This
Way Foundation. Promoting skill building and mental health awareness that provides another outlet for your feelings. Put it in your art, put it in your music, put it in your creativity. Stop the Drama, Start
the Music.
I also ask that Twitter and other social media platforms support this
effort to monitor and control abusive and threatening language, as I don’t know that I am powerful enough to stop it myself. Please represent me and our community with the values we cherish and live by.
I love you.