Lady Gaga on Saturday evening wowed European audiences with a spectacular performance of her smash hit “Born This Way” and an encore of “Edge of Glory,” the culmination of the massive EuroPride in Rome, Italy, in which she called upon governments around the world to defend gay rights.
Addressing a crowd of hundreds of thousands in the ancient Circus Maximus stadium, Gaga said that many governments still block the basic freedom of assembly — “celebrations such as this one are still illegal,” she said.
Following her speech, Gaga performed acoustic renditions of “Born This Way” and “Edge of Glory.” Watch:
The American pop icon criticized governments in Eastern Europe and the Middle East for condemning young people to a life of isolation and discrimination and told the EuroPride rally, “We’re all from the same DNA. We were just born this way.”
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“As I’ve traveled the world, meeting, kissing, touching, and celebrating with all of you. It is your bravery and courage that now inspires my own. […]
“We are here because we are no less valuable. We are here to proclaim our strength, our steadfastness, and our intelligence — we will not be treated as any less than human.”
“Let us be revolutionaries of love and use our very strong human powers to save lives and encourage unity around the world,” she cried.
Gaga’s speech came after a parade through Rome where participants criticized the Vatican and Italy’s government for their stance on gay rights.
