Lady Gaga has gone from pop star to full fledge icon at a breakneck speed. Mother Monster, as she’s known to her Little Monster fans, has earned this distinction through her catchy hits, avant-garde style, positive message and charity work.
As you may know, Lady Gaga, with the help of her mother Cynthia Germanotta, created the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF) “to foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated.” This blossomed from her acceptance anthem Born This Way. The foundation’s first major project was the Born Brave Bus, which was a pre-concert tailgate experience for fans and so much more. In fact, it was a place for fans under twenty-five to “hang out, participate in creative and interactive activities, meet resources in [their] community, and bond with other youth – just like [them] – who are ready to make a difference and start building a kinder, braver world.”
This message of self acceptance and generosity helped earn her a spot on philanthropy lists like: 10 Celebrities Doing Interesting Things to Change the World, 20 Top Celebrities Gone Good of 2012 Part 2, Celebrities Take Part in Nonprofit Fundraising Relief Efforts for Hurricane Sandy Part One, and 10 Charitable Celebrities Doing Good for Women and Girls.
Gaga’s Little Monsters are now paying forward their own stories of inspiration with the book Heal This Way. In the Heal This Way book “Lady Gaga’s biggest fans share their raw emotions about coming out, bullying, thoughts of suicide, and the need for acceptance.” They share letters and messages, which are accompanied by portraits. This is designed to help LGBTQ youth – and everyone just trying to fit in – find a place in the world.
Heal This Way had an odd beginning as it started as messages of support for an injured Lady Gaga who suffered a hip injury and had to cancel her tour in the winter of 2013. In New York City, her fans gathered on what would have been the weekend of the Born This Way Ball Tour and wrote their personal messages of support to Gaga. This is where the author/photographer of Heal This Way Tracey B. Wilson comes in.
Tracey B. Wilson is a part of Lady Gaga’s North American tours and says that this gift “took on an energy all its own. This project had a voice, and it needed to be heard. So a new, public version was created.” That public version is the book Heal This Way, which aims to inspire others to be their authentic selves. Some of the proceeds from the book have been pledged to charities promoting acceptance and social equality.
A launch party for the book is being held on Tuesday, November 12, in New York City. A portion of the proceeds from the Heal This Way book launch party will go the Trevor Project, “the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.”
This book highlights the positive impact of celebrities especially one of Gaga’s stature who can enact change and inspire others to live better and make the world a better place.
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