VIDEO: Lady Gaga Releases New Video; Says 'Gay Soldiers Have Become Targets'
Sep. 17 2010, Published 9:13 a.m. ET
Lady Gaga gave an impassioned argument in a video posted to her YouTube page Friday, on next week’s U.S. Senate vote on a defense bill that includes a stipulation to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, which bans openly gay people from serving in the military.
Watch the clip on RadarOnline.com
In the black and white clip, a blonde Gaga, perched in front of an American flag, gives an opinionated explanation of the 17-year-old policy, which she feels to be unconstitutional. Gaga said the policy has caused more than 14,000 dedicated service members to be discharged from the armed forces, including 400 under President Barack Obama's watch.
The Telephone singer said she feels the techniques employed by the military (to determine if their people are gay) are unfair.
"Ultimately, the law is being enforced using gay profiling," Gaga said, "and gay soldiers have become targets."
Gaga then explained why she'd taken to the cause, and how she hopes other will follow her lead.
“I am here to be voice of my generation, not the generation of the senators who are voting, but the youth of this country,” she said. "The generation that is affected by this law and whose children will be affected. We are not asking you to agree with or approve the moral implications of homosexuality, we’re asking you to do your job: To protect the constitution.
“As majority leader Harry Reid said: ‘Anyone who is willing to fight for this country should have the same civil opportunities to do so as anyone else. It is my belief that no one person is more valuable than another.'"
Gaga, who was flanked by discharged gay military people at last week’s MTV Video Music Awards, then reeled off a few stories about soldiers she's crossed path with whose lives and careers were destroyed after they were victims of the policy.
Gaga then dialed up New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, sitting through an endless series of rings only to get "mailbox full" message. Undaunted, the pop star said she would not stop calling until she reached the senator and expressed her opinion.
"We need to do this, for our gay and lesbian soldiers to repeal ‘Don't Ask Don't Tell,’" she said.
Gaga encouraged users interested in following her cause to log onto http://www.sldn.org/Gaga