Advocacy Group Up In Arms Over Lady Gaga's Wheelchair Performance

By:Radar Staff

July 14 2011, Published 4:30 a.m. ET

By Amber Goodhand - RadarOnline.com Reporter

Did Lady Gaga take it too far this time?

The outrageous singer rolled out in a wheelchair during her performance in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, which some fans found offensive - as did some disability organizations and advocacy groups, RadarOnline.com has learned.

"I haven't seen Lady Gaga's performance, but respect her artistic expression as an artist. Since this isn't the first time she has used a wheelchair in her performances, I invite her to learn more about the 5.6 million Americans who live with paralysis," Founder of the Life Rolls On Foundation, Jesse Billauer, told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive statement.

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"They, like me, unfortunately, don't use a wheelchair for shock value."

While Lady Gaga is known for her bizarre and jaw-dropping antics, Life Rolls On, which is a subsidiary of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation , makes it clear that the wheelchair shouldn't have been used just to draw attention.

"I extend a personal invitation to Lady Gaga to attend one of our Life Rolls On events where quadriplegics and paraplegics surf, skate, and snowboard, so she can see how much is possible beyond a wheelchair," Billauer said. "Maybe that will be most shocking to her of all."