Lady Gaga had friends in high places to help her secure a gay pride gig in Rome.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the State Department, particularly U.S. ambassador to Italy David Thorne, was "instrumental in sealing the deal" for the pop idol to perform at an LGBT rally on June 11 called Roma Euro Pride.
"And then there is the work that our embassy team in Rome has been doing," Clinton said at a State Department news conference. "Two weeks ago they played an instrumental role in bringing Lady Gaga to Italy for a Euro Pride concert.
For the event, Gaga sang at Rome's ancient Circus Maximus before marching in a gay pride parade through Rome, according to The Associated Press. She called herself a "child of diversity" and lamented that young people who are gay are susceptible to "suicide, self-loathing, isolation."
Clinton said that Thorne had personally sent a letter to the Queen Monster about the rally.
"Now as many of you know, Lady Gaga is Italian-American and a strong supporter of LGBT rights," Clinton said. "And the organizers of the Euro Pride event desperately wanted her to perform and a letter to her from Ambassador Thorne was instrumental in sealing the deal."
The singer's fans sounded thrilled to see her in Rome, as the crowd screamed when she stepped on stage with a flowing patterned skirt and bright green bob. She played "Born this Way" and "The Edge of Glory," both from her new album, solo at the piano.
The news conference was hosted along with Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) in honor of Gay Pride month.
Selected Reading: The Associated Press, CNS News, Entertainment Weekly
