When she’s not touring the world as one of the world’s most well-known and talented pop artists, Lady Gaga devotes herself to supporting youth struggling with identity, sexuality, and mental health (among other issues) through the Born This Way Foundation, which she founded in 2011. In a new interview with Billboard magazine, Gaga opened up about her reasons for wanting to help others, as well as her own struggle with depression and anxiety.
Her latest single, “Til It Happens to You,” is inspired by her own experience of being sexually assaulted at age 19. “We don’t have to be victims,” Gaga noted of the song’s message. “If we share our stories and stick together, we’re stronger.”
“This foundation was born from the years I spent watching my fans grow up. Many of them were really young: 11- to 17-year-olds in very tumultuous times,” said Gaga, when asked about the inspiration behind starting Born This Way. “As I began to care for them and to see myself in them, I felt I had to do something that would remind kids they’re not alone. When they feel isolated, that’s when it leads to suicide.” She recalled the story of Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old fan and activist who committed suicide in 2011 after being bullied for his sexuality.
When she travels with the Born Brave Bus, which sometimes accompanies her on tours and is a resource for fans struggling with different issues, Gaga meets and connects with her fans. Talking about an encounter with a girl named Emma who suffers from cerebral palsy, she told the publication, “She was in her chair, kind of hunched over, but still with this very brave smile on her face. I swore I was in the presence of maybe one of the greatest people. Moments like that make you go, “Everyone should learn from this person — this person knows what it means to self-empower through adversity, this person knows what it means to be strong when you’re not.”
Gaga connects with others so deeply in this regard because of her own struggles with mental health. She brought up the problems that technology causes, in that it cripples us and makes it harder for us to connect with one another. “These kids just want to feel human, but they feel like robots,” she said. “They don’t understand why they’re so sad. There are scientific reasons, which the foundation researches, why you feel sad when you look at your phone all day.”
“I’ve suffered through depression and anxiety my entire life, I still suffer with it every single day,” she added. “I just want these kids to know that that depth that they feel as human beings is normal. We were born that way. This modern thing, where everyone is feeling shallow and less connected? That’s not human.” When we see someone as popular and successful as Lady Gaga open up about her own struggles, it helps us to see that our own feelings are valid as well—and that’s why we love her so much!