In times when Photoshop and airbrushing make us feel like children of a lesser god in front of celebrities, it’s great to see stars coming out in the open and admitting that they are human, just like us. And one of the pioneers of that movement has to be Mother Monster, Lady Gaga. Whether it’s age or her being more honest with herself and fans, she really seems to be coming out in the open and being real as possible. Gone are the Poker Face days of designer masks and meat dresses. Today, after the release of her album Joanne, Lady Gaga dresses simply in pale pink with a signature hat, ready to talk about reality.
Visiting a homeless shelter for LGBT youth in Harlem, the Million Reasons singer spoke to youth-at-risk on behalf of #ShareKindness campaign. She said: “Kindness, to me, is an action of love or a showing of love to someone else. I also believe that kindness is the cure to violence and hatred around the world. I like to share kindness in a lot of different ways.
I love to give things to people who have nothing or less than me. These children are not just homeless or in need. Many of them are trauma survivors; they’ve been rejected in some kind of way. My own trauma in my life has helped me to understand the traumas of others.
In 2014, Gaga had revealed that she was raped when she was 19 year old, and that she hadn’t spoken to anyone for 7 years after the incident, though she still lived with the stigma and pain. “I told the kids today that I suffer from a mental illness. I suffer from PTSD. I’ve never told anyone that before, so here we are. But the kindness that’s been shown to me by my doctors – as well as my family and friends – it’s really saved my life.”
When she visited the shelter, she conducted a meditation session with the kids. “I’d been searching for ways to heal myself. I found that kindness is the best way. The one way to help people that have trauma is to inject them with as many positive thoughts as possible.” Speaking about the LGBT youth she said, “They’re not alone and they’re loved. I am no better than any of those kids, and I’m no worse than any of them. We are equal. We both walk our two feet on the same earth and we’re in this together. We as a world are suffering from war…Kindness is a way to becoming more harmonious.”
Apart from her meditation session, Gaga also donated clothing, gave them hugs and kisses and performed Nat King Cole’s Smile.
She ended her visit at Harlem by saying, “Those of us that have should give to those who have not during the holidays. Do one kind act before the end of the year. Just be kind. The act itself – it’s free, and it’s priceless.”
