Lady GaGa's manifesto preaching tolerance and self-acceptance is, I would argue, the greatest GLBT anthem of the last decade. We discussed in class the ramifications of saying the phrase "born this way" in terms of physical appearance, but I see the song as a gospel of accepting one's mental state. For example, many students argued that the song "Born This Way" embraced the GLB communities while leaving trans people in the dark. However, GaGa intended the term "born this way" to be about one's perception of who they are rather than a phrase preaching for self-acceptance of one's biology. If we accept the fact that GaGa's anthem is for mental self-acceptance, rather than physical, then she includes all elements of the acronym GLBT. Even still, I believe the song "Born This Way" can be seen as an anthem not just for the GLBT community but for anyone who has ever felt insecure about themselves, which is why she includes numerous communities (gay, straight, white, black, Lebanese, chola, etc.) in her lyrics.
As for the opening sequence of her music video, GaGa preaches for a world of tolerant and nonjudgmental people. She transports the audience into a futuristic setting in order to minimize the frustration many religious people may have with her lyrics. She makes herself a divine being and warns that evil will still be among the community which she created. In this sense, there is a choice between good and evil, opposed to simply being born that way. However, I see the choice as Mother Monster's, rather than the choice of her people, because she admits that she must use evil to combat evil. After all, universal tolerance is nearly impossible.
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