Lady Gaga gets honorary Sydney citizenship

Posted July 12, 2011 00:07:00

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore presents Lady Gaga a certificate of honorary citizenship (AAP: Dean Lewins)

Sydneysiders can now call US chart topper Lady Gaga one of their own, with the city's mayor declaring her an honorary citizen.

Lady Gaga was given the title honorary citizen of Sydney for her support of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.

"Lady Gaga has been a powerful force for the gay and lesbian community in Sydney and we have a rare honour for people whose achievements embrace the ideals and spirit of our city," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in a statement.

Ms Moore said the GLBT community continued to fight for equality, particularly in regard to marriage.

"There are many young gay and lesbian people in Sydney, more than anywhere else in Australia, and unfortunately many are made to feel like second-rate citizens because there is still so much inequality," she said.

Ms Moore praised Lady Gaga for using her "star power" to support the GLBT community.

"One woman has helped turn the tide in the United States - from playing small bars in New York to huge arenas around the world," she said.

"And I would like to pay tribute to her for using her star power to focus the world's attention on the prejudice still directed at gay men and women."

Lady Gaga, who was christened Stefani Germanotta, has been making headlines since she touched down at Sydney Airport on Saturday morning.

The pop singer arrived to perform her only Sydney show, at Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday night.

Lady Gaga's new album, Born This Way, is the fastest-selling album of the year around the word, her minders say.

Making its debut at number one in more than 27 countries - including Australia, the US and the UK - it has so far chalked up sales of more than five million copies worldwide.

Lady Gaga joins other honorary citizens of Sydney including tennis greats Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Roy Emerson and Ken Rosewall and Italian conductor Riccardo Muti.

- AAP

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, music, bands-and-artists, community-and-society, gays-and-lesbians, government-and-politics, local-government, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, united-states

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/07/12/3267093.htm

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