Lady Gaga was awarded West Hollywood’s Key to the City on Born This Way Day (23.05.21).
A decade after the release of her acclaimed 2011 studio album, ‘Born This Way’, the 35-year-old pop megastar’s chart-topping LP has been honoured for its cultural impact.
West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath presented the Grammy-winner with the key to the city and declared May 23 to be Born This Way Day.
Horvath told Gaga: “Thank you for encouraging us to love ourselves and be proud!”
A painting of the album’s title in pride flag form was unveiled on Robertson Boulevard in honour of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the ‘Stupid Love’ hitmaker vowed to “always be here for this day”.
Gaga said: “Thank you for this key. You’ve been – I’m sure this will sound cheesy to some people, not to me – you’ve been the motherf***** key to my heart for a long time.
“I’ll honour this and I’ll treasure this, and I promise I’ll always be here for this day.
“I will be here on this day to celebrate with you, to feel joy with you, to cry with you, to laugh with you, because you know what we are? We’re poets, and we’re just talking to each other. I love you, let’s have a good time!”
The ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ singer also took to social media to share a series of pictures from the day and shared how the album was inspired by black gay activist, Carl Bean, the founding prelate of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a liberal protestant denomination that is welcoming of lesbian, gay and bisexual African Americans.
Gaga captioned the post: “Born This Way, my song and album, were inspired by Carl Bean, a gay black religious activist who preached, sung and wrote about being “Born This Way.” Notably his early work was in 1975, 11 years before I was born. Thank you for decades of relentless love, bravery, and a reason to sing. So we can all feel joy, because we deserve joy. Because we deserve the right to inspire tolerance, acceptance, and freedom for all. (sic)”
