Thread by @sohappyiclddie, gaga and bisexuality - a thread(why her bisexuality is validand people saying [...]

gaga and bisexuality - a thread

(why her bisexuality is valid
and people saying she isn't bi is not only bullshit
but also harmful to the bi community)

let me start by saying that from the very beginning of her career gaga has never identified as straight and has mentioned on several occasions that she is attracted to women and has had relationships with them. receipts on that later.
let's start with why people are doubting her.

the main reason people have started doubting her sexual orientation is an isolated quote from her episode on rupaul's drag race where she said "i am not a gay woman."
let me elaborate on why that does not mean she is not bisexual anymore.
first, here's the full scene.

here's the transcript of what she says.

the reason her saying this sounds strange is because we are so used to using "gay" as an umbrella term nowadays. however, that is not what she is doing in this instance. what they are talking about here is the gay community, as in homosexual. not the lgbtq+ community.

she rightfully says that she is not homosexual (she's never claimed to be) and then goes on to acknowledge that for that reason she can not fully understand what these gay drag queens have been through. which is true.

the bisexual community faces a lot of different struggles from the homosexual community. she has also only been in opposite-sex relationships in the public eye. so she never had to deal with public backlash over her being with a woman.

and though she of course fights for the entire lgbtq+ community, she has often acknowledged the gay men in her life specifically and is doing it again here. she has stood up for them even though she is obviously not part of them.

then there is also this incredibly misleading article by "the advocate", a media outlet that supposedly supports the lgbtq+ community. until recently it was the first thing that popped up when you googled "lady gaga bisexual". https://www.advocate.com/media/2017/3/27/lady-gaga-lgbt-or-ally

Is Lady Gaga LGBT or an Ally?

It's been a long time since the "Poker Face" singer self-identified as bisexual. Here's why that matters.

https://www.advocate.com/media/2017/3/27/lady-gaga-lgbt-or-ally

it focuses on the drag race episode too, mistaking "gay community" for lgtbq+ community. additionally it asks why gaga didn't address her bisexuality in the conversation. the answer is simple: because it wasn't the topic.

she had no reason to make this conversation about her own struggles that the queens can't relate to. she wasn't there to give them a lesson on how bisexuals have it hard too.
she was there to talk about the support she's received from gay men throughout her life and to thank them

the article also makes a big point on the difference between members of the lgbtq+ community and allies.
in my opinion, the two labels don't exclude one another. you can be lgbtq+ and still be an ally to the rest of the community. just like you can still be transphobic, etc. (ew)

the reason they are bringing up the "ally" label is because during her speech in solidarity with the victims of the pulse shooting in 2016, she said "i hope you know that myself and so many are your allies." then she pointed to the crowd. here is the video.

here's the transcript of the video.

to me, it is pretty clear that she is not even using the "ally" label in reference to the entire lgbtq+ community here, but to the grieving families, the victims of the attack and to the lgbtq+ community of orlando. but everyone can interpret that for themselves of course.

and let me just say to this: it doesn't. bisexuals do not have to prove themselves nor acknowledge their sexual orientation over and over again for it to be valid.

one of the many things we (read bisexuals) struggle with is lack of representation and bi erasure. it makes it harder for people to figure out and come to terms with the fact that they're bisexual. before gaga, i didn't even know bi was an option. i thought it was either or.

it is confusing and there is a lot of self-doubt.
but fact is, you can be in relationships with only one gender your entire life and still be bi.
because it's about attraction and only you know who you're attracted to. so if gaga labels herself bisexual, you best believe her.

some people say she's only doing it for marketing/attention, a common harmful myth about bisexuals. how much more good does she have to do for lgbtq+s for people to believe she doesn't need that kind of attention? she doesn't need to do it for marketing.

her being bisexual is not the reason she is successful. this argument is bullshit.

but gaga is one of the strongest representatives our community has. one of the few people we can turn to for representation. trying to invalidate her bisexuality contributes to bi erasure. period.

i've already mentioned that gaga does not need to prove herself but i know people are curious so let me provide you with some receipts.

and if you are interested in further information about bi struggles and erasure, this video explains it pretty well

psa: feel free to use this thread as a resource for receipts and to throw in anyone's face who invalidates gaga by saying she "came out as straight", "isn't bi anymore", etc.

if you want, you can also just save this tumblr post which puts the main point in a nice nutshell.

just a side note: none of the pictures and videos i am posting belong to me. i cut and captioned them but i do not claim copyright.

here we go

in april 2008, gaga released her music video to 'just dance'. it features about a second of her getting close to a girl during a house party.
she has explained in interviews that the video represents the lifestyle she knows and understands when it comes to partying.

here are a few behind the scenes shots.

this is one of, if not the earliest instance in which gaga acknowledged her attraction to women. this was an interview for the newnownext awards in june 2008 and she did not label her sexuality yet.

in august 2008, she gave an interview for hx magazine where she accepted the label but didn't use it for herself yet.
she explained the reason for this in a later interview (coming up).

by becember 2008 she was already tired of talking about it and she explained to fab magazine why.

in january 2009 'poker face' was released to mainstream radio (when 'just dance' was still #1) in the united states and topped the charts on april 11th.

this was also the date when she first revealed what the song is actually about at a concert in palm springs.

a week later she also revealed the true meaning of the song and its lyrics to jonathan ross on british television.

this set off wild speculations around her sexuality and is the reason why many of the following interviews are in reference to the song.

before i continue with the interviews, let me make you aware of the most crucial lyrics of 'poker face' for this.

in the chorus she alternates between "he's got me like nobody" and "she's got me like nobody". this can especially be heard in her acoustic performances of the song.

"he can't read my poker face" and "i'm bluffin' with my muffin" refers to her fantasizing about women while sleeping with her boyfriend but not letting him know.

there is also a lyric not many people know about because most radio stations never censored it correctly, according to her.

when she sounds like she's singing "po-po-po-poker face, po-po-poker face", what she's actually saying is "po-po-po-poker face, po-po-fuck her face".

jump forward a bit to october 2009 and we have the interview most people know. the notorious conversation with barbara walters that is known for being the first time gaga came out as bisexual on public television (in the united states).

yes, it is uncomfortable.

i don't think i have to explain why the question about who gaga has slept with is very inappropriate. it's frankly nobody's business and even if she hadn't had any sexual experiences with women before, she would still be bi simply for being attracted to them. that's how it works.

a month later (november 2009) she did an interview for fuse where she actually accepted the label for herself.

in a 2013 interview with howard stern, she also explained a bit more of the context of the time she wrote 'poker face' about.

tw: sexual harassment

in february 2009, gaga released the music video to 'lovegame' which features a sequence in which she makes out with a person in a booth. the shot switches back and forth between the person being a man and a woman.

an image of gaga and the woman was later used as the cover for the 'lovegame remixes' cd.

before we leave 2009, here are two more times her sexual orientation was addressed in the july issues of maxim and rolling stone magazine.
this also addresses the myth that since bisexuals are attracted to more than one gender, they must love/want threesomes all the time.

in march 2010, gaga released the music video to 'telephone' which features a scene in a woman's prison where gaga makes out with a non-binary inmate (she has not specified her gender identity but seems to be fine with female pronouns, see next tweet).

heather cassils, who played gaga's "prison girlfriend", has given a few interviews on her experience (in which she also addresses gaga's sexuality).

here are a few links and excerpts.

https://gawker.com/5497195/lady-gagas-prison-gf-says-kissing-her-was-electric

https://www.out.com/entertainment/interviews/2010/03/15/heather-cassils-lady-gagas-prison-yard-girlfriend?amp

https://www.afterellen.com/general-news/70193-an-interview-with-heather-cassils/amp

on her third album born this way (2011) she released a song called 'americano'.
the song describes a love story between her and a girl from los angeles. she has explained that it is about prop 8 and the immigration laws in arizona which she didn't agree with.

here are the lyrics

in may 2011 she gave an interview for jean paul gaultier. when asked about her sexual orientation this is what she said.

but pls note that, as mentioned before, it's absolutely fair for her to call herself bisexual. she's valid no matter who she has or hasn't been in love with.

in the august 2011 issue of 'the advocate' she was asked about being part of the lgbt community.

in october of the same year (2011) she had another interview with jonathan ross where she confirmed her attraction to women.

on december 25, 2011, gaga released the song 'stuck on fuckin' you' to youtube for free as a christmas present for her fans.
the lyrics feature the line "i don't ever want just another boy or a girl".

during her born this way ball tour, gaga and djws "released" an unreleased track called 'cake like lady gaga' to soundcloud. the lyrics feature the line "i'm caked up and i'll fuck your wife".

the video also features a scene in a bathtub with two women, one smacking gaga's ass.

on her fourth album ARTPOP she released another song that strongly hints at her bisexuality, called 'sexxx dreams'. here she explains what the song is about in a track-by-track review she did for siriusxm in november of 2013.

here are the lyrics to 'sexxx dreams' if you wanna get a better picture.

when she explained what 'manicure' is about, she also mentioned that it could be about a guy or a girl.

in september 2013, gaga was interviewed on watch what happens live and asked about "taking a dip in the lady pond". this was her response.

two months later, howard stern addressed her response in his interview with gaga and also asked if she'd be open to bringing another woman into the bedroom while she was dating taylor kinney.

in october 2013, gaga answered a few questions during a q&a for the ampya moment in germany. here she addressed the misconception that she is using her bisexuality for marketing.

in december 2013, gay magazine 'attitude' published an interview where gaga explains that she does not need to prove her bisexuality to anyone.

some people complain that gaga hasn't addressed her bisexuality since 2013 (not that it would make a difference) but that's not true.
just this month she's alluded to it constantly during her shows in vegas.

here she mentions liking boys & girls but having a preference for boys

she also explained the meaning behind 'poker face' at every jazz and piano show & changed the lyrics of 'lovegame' from "a boy and a girl and a huh" to "a hole and a hole and a fuck" at two enigma shows.

that & more from vegas you can find in this thread https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1140250844136464385

https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1140250844136464385

these are all the things i have gathered within the past two months. whenever i find more i will continue adding to the thread and if you find anything more you can add it too.

i also made a thread a while ago of gaga kissing women you can check out here https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1128136500594577408?s=19

https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1128136500594577408?s=19

at her apollo show in june 2019, gaga talked about the lgbt community, referencing it as "our" community (thus including herself in it) as well as reaffirming that she does not want to compare hardships within the community because we're all in it together
https://twitter.com/hausofIau/status/1143335466298724352?s=19

https://twitter.com/hausofIau/status/1143335466298724352?s=19

which nicely supports what i have said here https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1142903969909485568

https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1142903969909485568

in honor of #bivisibilityday and thanks to the great help of @priscilaqs and some more research that i've done, i'm making some more additions to the thread so get ready

now before i add a few more "receipts" i would like to address a common theme i have noticed in gaga's responses whenever she is asked about her bisexuality.

i have noticed that she's talked about this ever since she got media attention for being bi & continues to do so even now

i have hinted at it before but i would like to make it a little clearer for people who haven't realized it yet because i myself only did with her recent speech at #stonewall50 at nyc pride in june 2019.

here it is.

gaga is aware that people erase her bisexuality. i'm not sure to which extent she realizes how wrong that is but as seen in this video she knows.

now, one could wonder why she doesn't defend herself and her rightful place in the community more often.

and this is something she has addressed multiple times.

first of all, part of it undoubtedly includes how frustrating it must be to constantly be invalidated and having to "prove" yourself.

questioning your place in the community is pretty much just part of being bi.

HOWEVER

what i have noticed is, whenever she talks about her involvement with the community, she makes sure to emphasize that all her friends and strongest supporters are lgbtq+.

it becomes very apparent in her speech at artrave birmingham in 2014, too.

what she wants people to understand is that the reason she fights for & supports the lgbtq+ community so much isn't because she's bi & part of it herself.
it's because the people who have always believed in and supported her are, and she wants to give back to them.

so in addressing her bisexuality too much she is worried people will think she's degrading the struggles of other members or trying to profit off of them in some way.

we all know that has never been her intention but we and herself also know how the media likes to twist things.

she has talked about this as early as june 2009 in an interview with john norris.

here is the transcript of the part about this topic.

we all know how modest she can be about her own struggles but i hope she is aware of just how valid she is in her sexual orientation and that it will never degrade her relentless fight for lgbtq+ rights, which we are so thankful for.

you hear me @ladygaga? you are valid.

alright, now that i have addressed that we can move on to some more "receipts" @priscilaqs and i have found :)

in february 2009, gaga performed at the dome 49 in germany. after her performance she mentioned to the hosts that she likes american girls.

in may 2009, gaga revealed to the crowd of kiss fm's wango tango for the first time that they were the only radio station that had censored the lyrics in 'poker face', which actually say "fuck her face", correctly.

and because we love those lyrics so much, here is gaga singing them very explicitly at summer sonic festival in tokyo three months later.

in june 2009, gaga played a set at glastonbury festival. before she performed the acoustic version of 'poker face', she talked about what she wrote the song about.

in october 2009, gaga was interviewed by sirius xm hits 1 and asked whether she would consider dating a celebrity.

in the january 2010 issue of elle magazine, gaga was asked about her female performer dream conquest and this was her answer.

as mentioned in the article, gaga released a song in 2009 called 'so happy i could die', where she sings about a lavender blonde.
the lyrics could be interpreted as both, gaga singing about herself or another woman. either way the song has sapphic undertones.

here are the lyrics

in may 2011, gaga appeared on the graham norton show and was asked about dating.

in july 2011, she was interviewed by howard stern and revealed that she started exploring her attraction to women when she was in college.

in october 2011, gaga gave an interview for the huffington post where her previous answer to a question by jean paul gaultier was addressed (shown in the tweet below).
https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1142913033892704256

https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1142913033892704256

it's important to note again that while, after being doubted so many times, she feels the need to point out she hasn't been in love with a woman, there isn't one.
it doesn't make her any less bi. she is just as valid as every other person who is attracted to two or more genders.

in december 2013, gaga performed 'poker face' at a celebration for the release of ARTPOP at annabel's in london.
as she so often likes to do when she performs the acoustic version of the song, she explained to the audience what the song is about (in the cutest way).

in 2015, gaga called ryan murphy and asked whether he could write her a part in the 5th season of american horror story. he agreed enthusiastically and ended up giving her the leading role.

her character has a lot of similarities to gaga, such as her love for fashion and art, her new york-italian heritage and also her bisexuality.

gaga had several love scenes with female characters on the show. all the actresses have said that gaga made them very comfortable and when angela bassett was nervous after reading the script, she told her not to be as she knew about sex with women because she'd "been there".

when tweeting about the show, she also commented how hot chasty ballesteros is, the actress whose character is seduced by gaga's the countess in the first episode.
https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/652187605359046656

https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/652187605359046656

in 2016 she gave an interview for the chartshowchat, commenting on how good-looking the women of london are. https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1168834531929067520

https://twitter.com/lgsbchac/status/1168834531929067520

i have a few other things but i'm tired so i'll add them tomorrow xx

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