Learn English Katy Perry Be a champion for the LGBTQ with BIG subtitles

so a little backstory

Shannon Woodward one of my best friends

a lot of my best friends are here

tonight because I love them and I’m I’m

obsessed with and I’m loyal and they’ve

taught me pretty much everything I know

but Shannon actually I used to sleep on

our couch and I was couch surfing on her

couch and I used to eat her frozen

chicken tenders from Trader Joe’s they

were so good here’s the thing about that

woman we’ve kind of like raised each

other I’ll get into it in a second but

basically one time I said I’m not a

feminist because you know I don’t grow

hair underneath my arms and stuff like

that cuz I really didn’t understand what

that meant and she like lovingly pulled

me aside as the strong woman she is and

great friend and those are great friends

and she goes hey um this is what the

word feminist means I was like what this

whole time I’m a feminist

[Applause]

so I love her so very much and I love

all my friends that teach me everything

that I’ve learned today so thank you so

much for this incredible humbling award

I gotta say there is no other community

that has done more to shape Who I am

today and there is no other community

that I believe in more than you

[Music]

[Applause]

this community here tonight has achieved

more progress toward a more perfect

union in a short amount of time as any

group in our history so I stand with you

and I know that we stand together

against discrimination whether it be in

the LGBTQ community or our Latino

brothers and sisters or the millions of

Muslims in this country I’m just a

singer/songwriter honestly I speak my

truths and I paint my fantasies into

these little bite-sized pop songs for

instance I kissed a girl and I liked it

[Applause]

[Music]

truth be told a I did more than that

and

hold up but be how was I gonna reconcile

that with the gospel singing girl raised

in youth groups that were pro conversion

camps what I did know is that I was

curious and even then I knew sexuality

wasn’t as black and white as this dress

and honestly I haven’t always gotten it

right but in 2008 when that song came

out I knew that I started a conversation

that a lot of the world seemed curious

enough to sing along to so let’s take a

trip down memory lane for one second my

first words were mama and Dada God and

Satan right and wrong were taught to me

on felt boards and of course the

glamorous

Jan Krauss crying diamond teardrops

every night on that Vaseline TBN

television screen make some noise if you

know who I’m talking about when I was

growing up homosexuality was synonymous

with the word abomination and help a

place of gnashing of teeth continuous

the burning of skin and probably Mike

Pence’s ultimate guest list for a

barbecue no way no way I wanted the

pearly gates and the unlimited Froyo

toppings so must of my unconscious

adolescence I prayed the gay away at my

Jesus camps but then in the middle of it

all in a twist of events I found my gift

and my gift introduced me to people

outside my bubble and my bubble started

to burst these people were nothing like

I had been taught to fear they were the

most free strong kind and inclusive

people I have ever met

they stimulated my mind and they filled

my heart with joy and they freaking

danced all the while doing it these

people are actually magic and they are

magic because they are living their

truth oh my goddess what a revelation

and not the last chapter of the Bible

[Applause]

suffice to say it’s been a long road for

me and I’m sure a long road for many of

you out there I know it always I know it

doesn’t always feel safe to live out who

you are but here’s the thing though I

would have not chosen a different road

priceless lessons have been learned the

path of discovery has made me has tested

me and forever changed me you don’t get

to choose your family but you can choose

your tribe many of the people I admire

and trust and work with belong to the

LGBTQ community and without them I would

be half of the person I am today my life

is rich in every capacity because of

them they are trusted allies that

provide a safe space to fall to not know

it all and to make mistakes these are

the people I hold dear see I hope I

stand here as real evidence for all that

no matter where you came from it’s about

where you are going and that real change

real evolution and real perceptions

shift can happen if we open our minds

and soft in our hearts people can change

believe me it would have been easier

just to stay the whipped-cream tit

spring poppy light fluffy fun anthems by

the way of animal totems singing girl

who was basically somewhat neutral in a

stance and just that more hugs could

save the world no way no longer can I

sit in silence I have to stand for what

I know

is true and that is equality and justice

for all period that’s why the HRC is so

important and I am so grateful for them

being on the front lines every day from

civil union legislation to repealing

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to getting rid of

DOMA at the Supreme Court which paved

the way for marriage equality across the

country and continuing to fight for

trans equality amongst all things I

[Applause]

don’t have to tell you that we have a

lot more to do we have to create a safe

space for us to ask questions of

ourselves and others and to keep the

conversation going because the loudest

voice in the room or on your TV set

isn’t always right but that little voice

inside of you pushing you to discover

who you are is a trusted friend none of

us have the answers or all of them at

least but it’s time to lead with empathy

and grace and compassion now more than

ever to find the unity we need now I’ll

never cease to be a champion an ally a

spotlight and a loving voice for all

LGBTQ identifying people whatever your

sexuality your gender your preferred

pronouns blossom t2b we all know it

ain’t so black and white and I will

continue to champion the people that

have been a champion for me many friends

and loved ones from the LGBTQ family

have raised me into the woman I am today

and I want to dedicate this award to one

of my greatest champions in my life

my manager Bradford Alden Kupferberg

[Applause]

make it’s almost been like 15 years cuz

he believed in me before it all secretly

paying my rent four years and bringing

me leftovers from hamburger scary’s he

really did I know we really connected on

a soul level though because we came from

the same upbringing where it was

difficult to be our authentic selves we

had similar struggles breaking out of

our suppressive shells but we kept

inspiring each other challenging each

other and retiring our past frame of

mind

we broke the cycle and now we’re living

our best most authentic lives I love you

be calm there will be obstacles but we

all know everything good takes work but

we can’t let our past get in the way of

our brilliant future these days I get an

incomparable high from finally knowing

myself and it feels more real than any

story I was ever told on a felt board

it feels sparkly as and truth be

told I think a lot of that has to do

with the magic that has rubbed off on me

from all of you thank you so much

[Applause]