Lady Gaga protests Arizona’s anti-immigration law

Lady Gaga performed in Phoenix, AZ Saturday night where she spoke out publicly against SB1070, the state’s new anti-immigrant law. Lady Gaga had been encouraged to participate in the boycott of Arizona, which has led other prominent pop stars to cancel shows in the state. Instead, Gaga decided to use her show as an opportunity to speak out against the racist law.

Gaga performed with “Stop SB1070″ written on her arm and had this to say about the law:

I got a phone call from a couple really big rock and rollers, big pop stars, big rappers, and they said, we’d like you to boycott Arizona, we’d like you to boycott playing Arizona because of SB1070. And I said, you really think that us dumb [yes, ableist language] fucking pop stars are gonna collapse the economy of Arizona?

I’ll tell you what we have to do about SB1070. We have to be active, we have to actively protest, and the nature of the monster ball is to actively protest prejudice and injustice and the bullshit that is put on our society because you’re a superstar no matter who you are or where you come from, and you were born that way.

I will not cancel my show. I will yell and I will scream louder and I will hold you and we will hold each other and we will peaceably protest this state.

But do not be afraid, because if it wasn’t for all you immigrants this country wouldn’t have shit.

I do believe in standing in solidarity when organizers I agree with call for a boycott. I think we need broader understanding of the fact that we vote with our wallets. But I also think Lady Gaga was able to bring a lot more attention to this issue by performing and speaking out than she would have by staying out of Arizona. And it makes sense to me to bring her show, which is all about creating a space for social outsiders, to Arizona as a place for protest and celebration.

Here’s a video of Lady Gaga’s full remarks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1-1Nt5qgqk&feature=player_embedded

Partial transcript after the jump.

What do you think of Lady Gaga’s decision to perform and speak out in Arizona? Should she have participated in the boycott, or was this a good use of her fame?
Lady Gaga: My name is Lady Gaga!

Thank you so much for buying a ticket to see my show Arizona. I didn’t used to be brave, I wasn’t a brave person at all, but you have made me brave. And now I’m gonna be brave for you.

Tonight I want you to free yourself, I want you to let go of all of your insecurities, I want you to reject any person or any thing or any law that have ever made you feel like you don’t belong.

I got a phone call from a couple really big rock and rollers, big pop stars, big rappers, and they said, we’d like you to boycott Arizona, we’d like you to boycott playing Arizona because of SB1070. And I said, you really think that us dumb fucking pop stars are gonna collapse the economy of Arizona?

I’ll tell you what we have to do about SB1070. We have to be active, we have to actively protest, and the nature of the monster ball is to actively protest prejudice and injustice and the bullshit that is put on our society because you’re a superstar no matter who you are or where you come from, and you were born that way.

I will not cancel my show. I will yell and I will scream louder and I will hold you and we will hold each other and we will peaceably protest this state.

But do not be afraid, because if it wasn’t for all you immigrants this country wouldn’t have shit. And I mean it so deeply in my soul. Let me get a good look at all of you.