Tag Archives: LGBT

Ricky Martin to Receive Special Honor at the Gala Vanguard Awards

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Ricky Martin is a Vanguard…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will be honored at the 49th anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards, held annually by the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Ricky Martin

The charity event honors Los Angeles-based leaders and influencers for their LGBT advocacy. Previous recipients of the Vanguard Awards include the likes of Miley Cyrus, Jane Fonda, Elton John, George and Brad Takei, and Wanda Sykes.

The 49th anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards will take place on September 22 at the Beverly Hilton.

Other 2018 honorees include Arrow and Supergirl showrunner Greg Berlanti; Berlanti’s partner, producer and retired soccer player Robbie Rogers; and philanthropist Ariadne Getty.

Martin released the Wisin and Yandel-featuring “Fiebre” and starred in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story earlier this year.

Gomez Among 24 Artists Featured on Orlando Shooting Charity Single “Hands”

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Selena Gomez is lending her hands to help the victims of the Orlando Shooting.

The 23-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress is among 24 artists featured on a new recording to raise money for the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre.

Selena Gomez

The all-star release, entitled “Hands” — a charity single from Interscope Records with support from GLAAD — was conceived by hit songwriter Justin Tranter, co-writer of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and hits for Gomez, DNCE, Fall Out Boy and Gwen Stefani.

In addition to Gomez, the single also features Jennifer Lopez, who has worked on her own charity single with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stefani, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, Juanes, Pink, Mary J. Blige and Britney Spears.

The June 12 shooting at the gay nightclub in Orlando, which killed 49 people and injured 53, is the most deadly mass shooting in American history and the deadliest act of violence against the LGBT community.

Funds from the song will aid families with medical care, counseling and will also be used for education.

“Like the rest of the world I woke up to the news that morning and was horrified and sad and scared,” says Tranter, who has raised money and awareness for LGBT causes since coming out at age 14.

“Hands” is available on iTunes.

Proceeds will be distributed by Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund, the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida and GLAAD.

The idea for the all-star project came together one day after the shooting.

L.A.-based Tranter and songwriting partner Julia Michaels had been on the road with Gomez writing songs aboard her tour bus in Miami the weekend of June 11 when news of the bloodshed prompted Tranter to switch course. That afternoon he signed on as a volunteer at The Center Orlando, the region’s chief LGBT community center.

“I called them and said, ‘If I fly up is there something for me to help with?'” he tells Billboard. “They say, ‘We need as many hands as we can possibly get.'”

“Hands” took hold the next day when Tranter met GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis who had arrived at the center from New York.

Beyond their immediate efforts — distributing food and water and GLAAD’s work with media — both were looking to make contributions that would have ongoing benefits. They point out that the massacre was also a profound attack on people of color, as that Saturday evening had been a popular “Latin Night” at Pulse. Most of the victims were of Latin heritage and Ellis says she does not want that point forgotten.

“When you hear the song it talks about hate being the driver here,” she says, “and that’s important because we have to be able to identify what’s driving these cruel acts in order to stop them. Artists using their platforms to accelerate acceptance is very powerful.”

Aligning with Interscope for the release, Tranter, GLAAD and Interscope president of A&R Aaron Bay-Schuck put the word out that a fundraiser was in the works. Within days artists from all spheres of the business had lined up — also among them Halsey, Ty Herndon, Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, Adam Lambert, The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, MNEK, Alex Newell, Mary Lambert, Prince Royce, Jussie Smollett, Nate Ruess and RuPaul — all recording separately from their homes, local studios, touring locations or wherever they happened to be at that moment.

“We assigned everybody what we thought would be the best part for their voice,” Tranter says, “and we asked them all to sing an additional part, just in case. But everybody got it done in time so we ended up with extra vocals.”

In Los Angeles “Interscope let us use their studio,” he notes. “Mary J. Blige recorded in New Orleans. Britney Spears in Thousand Oaks, I think. Pink in Santa Barbara. MNEK recorded at home in London. Selena recorded in her studio bus. Dan Reynolds recorded in his home. Adam Lambert was in Luxembourg. Ty Herndon the country star was in Spain. Kacey Musgraves, Nashville. Everyone just got it done.”

Another goal of the record, according to GLAAD, is to fund educational programs.

“This was an American guy who was born in Queens,” Ellis says of the gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, who was killed by police after a three hour stand-off. “He learned that hate here in America. This happened on American soil, against a particular community.”

While politicians and lobbyists have focused in recent weeks on Islamic terror and familiar narratives about gun ownership, Ellis, Tranter and others in the LGBT community want people to remember that this was a hate crime.

“I’m not educated enough to speak on the political details,” Tranter says. I’m a songwriter, not a politician. It could have been a million things but clearly, 100 percent, this was an attack on the LGBT community and people of color.”

“Hands” grew out of an unfinished piece that Tranter, Michaels and co-writer and producer BloodPop (formerly known as Blood Diamonds) had been working on and then shelved.

“The song didn’t ever finish itself and it didn’t ever feel right,” Tranter says of their initial efforts. “Now we know why.”

Mark Ronson also co-produced, while vocal engineer Benjamin Rice finessed the disparate tracks: “He helped us find the structure and make sense of it all.”

Warner/Chappell publishing executive Katie Vinten brought in numerous artists, among them P!nk, whom Tranter calls “a lifesaver,” adding, “Her vocal on the chorus is like from heaven directly.”

Spears opens the song with the plaintive line, “Can hold a gun or a hold a heart.” RuPaul is heard quietly toward the end, saying “take my hand baby.”

The songwriters had no specific plan as they entered the studio — only that they didn’t want the piece “to ever sound dated.”

“We didn’t want to have any trendy electronic elements,” Tranter notes. “We wanted it to sound classic, timeless and human. We want this anthem of positivity to be played for years to come.”

Download “Hands” here at iTunes.

Perez & Fellow Stars Sing Broadway for Orlando Charity Single on “Maya & Marty”

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Rosie Perez is spreading the love for a good cause…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer and choreographer joined fellow Broadway stars on Tuesday night’s episode of Maya and Marty to show solidarity with Orlando‘s LGBT community.

Rosie Perez & Broadway Stars on Maya & Marty

Hosts Maya Rudolph and Martin Short joined Perez and the group in the first live performance of the single, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which was recently recorded by dozens of Broadway stars to benefit the LGBT community in Orlando after the mass shooting that left 49 dead and 53 injured.

Perez, Megan Hilty, Sean Hayes, BD Wong, Jessie Mueller, Billy Porter, Fran Drescher and more stars performed the new version of the Burt Bacharach–Hal David song while images of Orlando and New York’s historic Stonewall Inn were shown.

The mass shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse happened just hours before the Tony Awards on June 12. The ceremony itself was dedicated to its victims and just days later, the charity single was announced.

All proceeds from the sale of the song will benefit the LGBT Center of Central Florida. It can be downloaded at BroadwayRecords.com.

 

Longoria Hosting Special Night of Music to Raise Funds for Homeless LGBT Youth

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Michael Longoria is singing for Homeless LGBT Youth…

The Mexican-American Broadway veteran is teaming up with American Idol alumni Constantine Maroulis and Diana DeGarmo for a special night of music on Thursday supporting the nonprofit organization New Alternatives at the New York City club Hardware.

Michael Longoria

The benefit, co-hosted by Ashley Austin Morris, will raise money for New Alternatives — an organization that helps homeless LGBT youth become self-sufficient and transition out of the shelter system and into stable adult lives. The center — which provides services including case management, education, life-skills training, community-building recreational opportunities for self-expression and support services for HIV-positive youth — will be losing its donated space after August, and Longoria hopes the benefit will raise enough money as well as awareness to keep the program alive.

“It’s a very dangerous situation for young people, where the only reason they’re homeless is because their family has abandoned them,” he tells Billboard. “That’s the only reason they’re in there, and that’s what we need to get involved in — if we don’t look out for them, who will?”

Programs like New Alternatives are necessary, he said, to help homeless youth map out their futures while staying out of “harm’s way.” “This organization is specifically for these people that go to these other shelters and are harassed or physically hurt because people don’t accept young gay people,” he said.

The event — which kicks off at 9 p.m. — will also feature raffles for a Broadway records album package, a bottle of Pinot by Tituss wine autographed by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess, as well as tickets to The Color Purple, Fiddler on the Roof, Kinky Boots, Finding Neverland, Himself, Nora, Trip of Love and Feinstein’s/54 Below.

The evening will serve as a celebration of Pride Week and a reminder to the community to remain vigilant in the face of hate and bigotry in light of the tragic massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 and injuring 53.

“What happened in Orlando is just a reminder that no matter how much love we have, other sources of evil are always going to resist, so let’s find a way to get serious in a positive way that shows our support for each other and our love for each other in public,” he said. “The people that need to be the most out and proud are the youth — the young people that are seeing all this violence are now scared to be themselves. … I feel like now more than ever is the time we need to show affection and we need to show who we are, because those people that were in that nightclub were people that were living their lives and showing their love for one another.”

Longoria — who said he has visited Pulse while on tour with various productions — was heartbroken to learn of a mother who was killed in the club while out dancing with her son. “To know that that mother was there in support of her son and loved her son and was accepting of her son and she lost her life in that tragic moment was just the worst news that I got, and ultimately, it’s just an attack on all Americans, humanity and our American way of life,” he said. “In a gay club, we are in a place where we can be ourselves and be free and not worry about any of that judgment and live our lives, and to have an attack on that freedom is an attack on every freedom in America, and that’s why all Americans need to be paying attention and getting involved in hopes of preventing this kind of thing from happening again in the future.”

Longoria — an original member of the cast of Jersey Boys in the role of Frankie Valli after a run in Hairspray — is currently supporting his new CD, Broadway Brick by Brick: a Latin-infused collection of Broadway classics including “Maria” (West Side Story), “The Sound of Music” (The Sound of Music) and “Music and the Mirror” (A Chorus Line). The record weaves in Longoria’s own personal story of his youth in Los Angeles leading to his success on The Great White Way.

“It became an autobiography of my life, my journey as a very young opera singer in a Mexican-American culture, a very heterosexual, Catholic culture, and finding myself in musical theater, in Broadway songs, and realizing that I was gay all the while,” he said. “Each song I chose tells a milestone of my journey, starting with my father, getting accepted to NYU and not having a means to get there, and getting the scholarship and getting on a plane in Los Angeles and leaving my family behind.”

A $10 donation is suggested to attend. Hardware is located at 697 10th Ave. in New York.

Gomez Releases Video for New Single “Kill Em With Kindness”

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Selena Gomez is covering kindness in her latest clip…

The 23-year-old half Mexican American singer/actress has released the official music video for her latest single “Kill Em With Kindness,” which dropped Monday.

Selena Gomez

In the clip Gomez recreates the vibe of a cover shoot as she poses for her portrait to be taken while others dance for the camera, in a very artful black and white.

Gomez is currently on her Revival Tour, which launched in Las Vegas on May 6.

She recently announced she’ll donate proceeds from her upcoming concert in Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday to charity, in light of the state’s controversial Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (HB2) law, which many performers have come out against as discriminating against LGBT individuals.

“Kill Em With Kindness” comes on the heels of three No. 1 pop hits from her Revival album: “Good for You,” “Same Old Love” and “Hands to Myself.”

Gomez to Donate Proceeds from North Carolina Concert to LGBT Charity

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Selena Gomez is performing in North Carolina despite the state’s controversial anti-LGBT bill. But, she’s doing it for a good reason.

The 23-year-old half-Mexican American singer will donate proceeds from her upcoming North Carolina concert to charity, and says she hopes “there will be a day soon when laws like HB2 won’t be a consideration.”

Selena Gomez

The Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (HB2) law — often referred to as the “bathroom bill” — is widely perceived as being anti-LGBT. It requires that transgender people only use bathrooms that correspond with their sex at birth.

“I am very fortunate to have grown up in a home where I learned from an early age that everyone should be treated equally,” Gomez says in a statement, ahead of her June 7 concert at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Time Warner Cable Arena. “I went back and forth on whether I should cancel my concert in North Carolina and ultimately I think what is right for me is to move forward with my show and donate a portion of the proceeds to Equality North Carolina and their effort to defeat this act of discrimination. I’ve been reassured the venue I will be performing in has gender neutral bathrooms as I want everyone coming to my show to be welcomed. I feel like my generation is the most progressive one yet and believe there will be a day soon when laws like HB2 won’t even be a consideration.”

Gomez’s Revival Tour launched in Las Vegas on May 6 and continues through December with dates scheduled in North America, Europe and Asia. Proceeds from each ticket sold to the tour will benefit the Alliance for Lupus Research, a national voluntary health organization whose mission is to find better treatments and ultimately prevent lupus.

The pop princess’ latest single, “Kill Em With Kindness,” rose 22-19 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart dated June 11, and follows three No. 1 hits from the Revival album: “Good for You,” “Same Old Love” and “Hands to Myself.”

Lovato to Receive Vanguard Award at This Year’s GLAAD Media Awards

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There’s no denying Demi Lovato is a vanguard… And, now she’ll have the award to prove it.

The 23-year-old part-Mexican American actress will be honored with the Vanguard Award at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards.

Demi Lovato

Lovato is being feted for her commitment to supporting LGBT youth.

In 2013, the “Cool for the Summer” singer was the GLAAD ambassador for Spirit Day, part of their anti-bullying campaign. Additionally, Lovato’s was applauded for filming the official music video for her single “Really Don’t Care” at the annual L.A. Pride parade in West Hollywood.

Previous honorees have included Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Kerry Washington and others.

A few of this year’s nominees include Adam Lambert and Le1f for outstanding music artist; Caitlyn Jenner’s I Am Cait for outstanding reality series; and the documentary Mala Mala for outstanding documentary.

The 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards will be held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on April 2.

Los Tigres del Norte Receive Special GLAAD Award for “Era Diferente”

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Los Tigres del Norte have plenty of reason to be GLAAD…

The norteño band received the Special Recognition (Spanish Language) Award at the 26th annual GLAAD Media Awards, held on March 21 at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton.

Los Tigres del Norte

Los Tigres del Norte  earned the award for their single “Era Diferente,” the first gay love song in the band’s 47-year history. The story of a young girl who falls in love with her female best friend, it’s also the first song of its kind in the genre.

Bandleader Jorge Hernandez, who wrote the lyrics while his brothers worked on the music, was surprised by the honor.

“I thought that no one would notice this song,” he told The Advocate. “[But now] people request it. The community is coming out to see us and this brings us great pride that these songs connect with them and brings them closer to us.”

Hernandez has said the idea for “Era Diferente,” from their most recent album Realidades, was born out of conversations with devout fans in the LGBT community over the years who wondered when they would write a corrido (a sung narrative) about them. “This interaction always stayed with me,” added Hernandez, “and I had the idea that one day I would write a song that would talk about this type of relationship.”

The five-member band, which recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, hopes to continue to reflect the stories of all Latinos.

“Sometimes in the Latino community we see machismo and problems with acceptance, but this is an area where acceptance is the most important because this is such a large community and we must accept people who love each other and live normal, happy lives,” Hernandez told The Advocate.

Rodriguez Earns Dorian Award Nomination for Her Starring Role on CW’s “Jane the Virgin”

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Gina Rodriguez is feeling the love from the LGBT community…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress, who picked up her first-ever Golden Globe award on Sunday, has earned special recognition from The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association.

Gina Rodriguez

Rodriguez earned a Dorian Award nomination from the association, which is comprised of more than 100 critics and entertainment journalists nationwide, in its The “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award category.

She earned her first-ever Dorian Award nomination for her critically acclaimed starring role on the CW’s Latino-themed series Jane the Virgin, which earned a nod in the Campy TV Show of the Year category.

Meanwhile, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu earned his latest Film Director of the Year nomination for helming the dark comedy Birdman, which earned for nods. Birdman was nominated for film of the year, along with Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game and Pride.

In all, the group – which says its mission is to honor content “from mainstream to gaystream” – unveiled nominations in 24 film and television categories.

Winners will be announced on January 20, with a Winners Toast set on March 1 in Los Angeles.

Here’s the complete list of Dorian Award nominees follows:

Film of the Year
Birdman – Fox Searchlight
Boyhood – Sundance Selects/IFC
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Fox Searchlight
The Imitation Game – The Weinstein Company
Pride – CBS Films

Film Performance of the Year – Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher – Sony Pictures Classics
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game – The Weinstein Company
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler – Open Road
Michael Keaton, Birdman – Fox Searchlight
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything – Universal

Film Performance of the Year – Actress
Essie Davis, The Babadook – Sundance Selects/IFC
Anne Dorval, Mommy – Lionsgate
Julianne Moore, Still Alice – Sony Pictures Classics
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl – 20th Century Fox
Reese Witherspoon, Wild – Fox Searchlight

Film Director of the Year
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel – Fox Searchlight
Ava DuVernay, Selma – Paramount
David Fincher, Gone Girl – 20th Century Fox
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman – Fox Searchight
Richard Linklater, Boyhood – Sundance Selects/IFC

LGBTQ Film of the Year
The Imitation Game – The Weinstein Company
Love is Strange – Sony Pictures Classics
Pride – CBS Films
Stranger by the Lake – Strand Releasing
The Way He Looks – Strand Releasing

Foreign Language Film of the Year
Force Majeure – Magnolia Pictures
Ida – Music Box Films
Mommy – Lionsgate
Stranger by the Lake – Strand Releasing
Two Days, One Night – Sundance Selects/IFC

Unsung Film of the Year
Obvious Child  – A24
Love is Strange – Sony Pictures Classics
Pride – CBS Films
The Skeleton Twins – Roadside Attractions
Snowpiercer – Radius/TWC

Documentary of the Year 
(theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
The Case Against 8 – HBO
CitizenFour – Radius/TWC
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me – Sundance Selects
Life Itself – Magnolia Pictures
Regarding Susan Sontag – HBO

Visually Striking Film of the Year 
(honoring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
Birdman – Fox Searchlight
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Fox Searchlight
Interstellar – Paramount
Snowpiercer – Radius/TWC
Under the Skin – A24

Campy Flick of the Year
Annie
Gone Girl
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Tammy

TV Drama of the Year
Fargo – FX
The Good Wife – CBS
How To Get Away with Murder – ABC
Mad Men – AMC
The Normal Heart – HBO

TV Comedy of the Year
The Comeback – HBO
Modern Family – ABC
Orange is the New Black – Netflix
Transparent – Amazon
Veep – HBO

TV Director of the Year
Lisa Cholodenko, Olive Kitteridge – HBO
Jodie Foster, Orange is the New Black –Netflix
Andrew Haigh, Looking – HBO
Ryan Murphy, The Normal Heart – HBO
Jill Soloway, Transparent – Amazon

TV Performance of the Year – Actor
Matthew Bomer, The Normal Heart – HBO
Matthew McConaughey, True Detective – HBO
Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart – HBO
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards – Netflix
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent – Amazon

TV Performance of the Year – Actress
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder – ABC
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback – HBO
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife – CBS
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black – BBC America
Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge – HBO

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Beyonce, MTV Video Music Awards – MTV
Neil Patrick Harris, “Sugar Daddy,” The Tony Awards – CBS
Jessica Lange, “Life on Mars,” American Horror Story: Freak Show – FX
Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Madonna, et al., “Same Love,” The Grammys – CBS
Prince, Saturday Night Live – NBC

LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
Looking – HBO
Modern Family – ABC
Orange is the New Black – Netflix
Please Like Me – Pivot
Transparent – Amazon

Unsung TV Show of the Year 
Getting On – HBO
Looking – HBO
Orphan Black – BBC America
Please Like Me – Pivot
Transparent – Amazon

TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
Anderson Cooper 360 – CNN
The Colbert Report – Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – HBO
The Rachel Maddow Show – MSNBC

Campy TV Show of the Year 
American Horror Story: Freak Show
How to Get Away with Murder
Jane the Virgin
Peter Pan Live!
Penny Dreadful

Music Video of the Year
Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”
Perfume Genius, “Queen”
Sia, “Chandelier”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass”

The “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award
Ansel Elgort
Jack Falahee
Ellar Coltrane
Jack O’Connell
Gina Rodriguez
Finn Wittrock

Wilde Wit of the Year 
(honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
Stephen Colbert
Rachel Maddow
Bill Maher
John Oliver
Jon Stewart

Wilde Artist of the Year 
(honoring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theater and/or television)
Xavier Dolan
Neil Patrick Harris
Richard Linklater
Jill Solloway
Tilda Swinton

Timeless Award 
(to an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)
George Takei

Lovato Supports Same-Sex Marriage in New HRC Video

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Demi Lovato has joined the Human Rights Campaign’s fight for gay rights.

The 21-year-old part-Mexican American singer, who filmed her “Really Don’t Care” music video at L.A. Pride, is voicing her support for same-sex marriage in a new web video.

Demi Lovato

Lovato is serving as the face of a re-launch of the Human Rights Campaign‘s Americans for Marriage Equality operation. HRC promises more celebrity endorsements to come.

“I believe that love comes in all different shapes, sizes and colors,” says the former Disney Channel star and judge on Fox‘s The X Factor in the 45-second clip. “So whether you’re LGBT or straight, your love is valid, beautiful and an incredible gift. … Please join me in supporting the majority of Americans who support marriage equality.”

Recent polling indicates that a solid majority of Americans now support same-sex marriage—59 percent, according to one recent ABC News/Washington Post survey.

For respondents younger than 30, that number jumps up to 77 percent. Among Republicans, marriage equality is supported by 40 percent, a jump of 16 points from just two years ago.

Lovato’s voice is a powerful one among her young fan base, which boasts 20 million Twitter followers and 30 million Facebook fans.

The singer has made anti-bullying a cornerstone of her public life, most recently having served in June as the grand marshal of the Los Angeles gay pride parade, where she filmed her dancetastic new video.