Lady Gaga will launch her effort
against anti-gay bulling, the Born This Way Foundation, at a Harvard
University event on February 29.
The foundation is a partnership with
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The California
Endowment and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at
Harvard University.
The new group will focus on youth
empowerment and “issues like self-confidence, well-being,
anti-bullying, mentoring and career development.”
Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia
Germanotta, are co-founders of the foundation.
“My daughter's foundation was born
out of her passion to create a better world where people are kinder
and nicer to one another and are accepted for who they are,
regardless of how different they may be,” Germanotta said. “She
has experienced many of the struggles that our youth encounter today,
and identifies with the lasting effects they can have without proper
support. Together, we look forward to creating a new movement that
will engage and empower youth and accept them as valuable members of
our society.”
Lady Gaga has previously spoken out
about the suicides of gay teens who were bullied to death.
(Related: Lady
Gaga performs Jamey Rodemeyer tribute; Says “bullying is for
losers.”)