Ariana Grande is a pop superstar. She has had many record-breaking albums and she has become the first solo artist to hold the 3 top positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
However, it is not just the impact that she has had as an artist that makes Ariana stand out from the crowd, it is also her support for the LGBTQ community.
Since she reached the mainstream in 2013, Ariana has always worked very closely with the LGBTQ community and has acted as a solid and reliable ally through her music and actions.
Let’s explore some of the main times when Ariana has acted as an ally of the community!
She Wrote A Letter To The LGBTQ Community
Ariana is a very strong ally, and she came out and said so in a letter she wrote to the community! In this letter, written in 2018 for Billboard Pride, she stated that she was indebted to the community and inspired by the individuals.
She vowed to create anthems for the community and stated that she celebrates the community and supports them immensely. Who Could be more of an ally than that?!
Ariana Abandoned Catholicism
Ariana grew up as part of the Catholic Church. However, she left. In 2013, she explained that this was because of the church’s position on LGBTQ rights.
She felt that the Church was not supportive of different types of people and this did not sit well with the star. Ariana’s brother is gay and a big part of the community, so Ariana was standing up for him.
She also stated her disdain for the Catholic church due to their opinion that working women are wrong.
Supported LGBTQ Community From The Start
Ariana started out in 2013. From the start of her career, she always made it clear that she was a strong ally to the community. She did this by communicating with her fans online.
Ariana tweeted support for the community from this stage in her career and she spent a lot of her childhood surrounded by gay and transgender friends.
She Speaks Up Against Online Bullying
Back in 2013, when Ariana was the star of Victorious, alongside some other actresses she started a Digital Drama Campaign.
Using Seventeen magazine as the basis for the campaign, she worked to raise awareness surrounding cyberbullying which was and still does, affect the LGBTQ+ community more than others.
Ariane helped to educate people on how to prevent online abuse for things such as homophobia.
Lesbian Representation
As the LGBTQ+ cause gains momentum, gay men are seen as being represented much more on TV and in films and music videos. Ariana normalizes not just gay men, but also gay women.
In her music videos, Ariana often depicts two women being intimate with one another. Seeing this on screen is very important for normalizing the relationships between women.
Her Music Supports LGBTQ+ Rights
In her song, ‘ Break Your Heart Right Back, Ariana sings about a gay love affair. In the song, a boy cheats on his girlfriend with another man.
Having representation about things like this in the mainstream media is great for the community as they are very underrepresented.
She Encourages Her Young Fans To Talk About Sexuality
Ariana encourages her young fans to talk openly about sexuality. She talks directly to her gay fans. She also encourages those who have not come out to their friends and family yet.
She tells them not to rush and that they have her support. For some young people, having this knowledge will encourage them to find the strength to come out in their own time.
She Promotes LGBTQ+ Fundraising And Charities
Back in 2016, Ariana worked with MAC to create a line of lipsticks. Her line, called MAC Viva Glam, was created to benefit the MAC AIDs fund.
Through raising money and awareness for HIV, she is showing support for people in the community all over the world.
She Was A Guest Judge On RuPaul’s Drag Race
Not only was Ariana a guest judge on the show, her music often features as songs used in the lip-sick battles. In season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ariana was invited to be a part of the judging panel. She was on episode 5 of this season.
In RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars season 4, her song ‘Into You’ was featured when the contestants had to lip sync for their place in the competition!
Drag Race Star Shangela Is Featured In Her Album
In the song NASA, Shangela is the voice of the recording of Neil Armstrong’s “One Step For Man” speech at the beginning of the song.
Grande’s gay half-brother Frankie Grande introduced the two and Grande recorded the Drag Queen on her phone during the short interaction.
She Has Collaborated With Troye Sivan
Troy Sivan is an openly gay musician who Ariana Grande collaborated with in 2018. In the hit song, Dance To This, the pair wrote, sang and took part in a music video together.
She Always Shows Visible Support
During the iHeartRadio performance, Ariana waves the rainbow flag to show support to the crowds. She also supports her LGBTQ community in this way often constantly reiterating her support in different ways.
Headlined Manchester Pride
Ariana headlined Manchester pride in order to show support to the community and her fans who are part of the community.
She chose Manchester pride because of the terrorist attack that happened during her concert in Manchester where 22 people died.
She responded to the criticism by saying that she wanted the chance to celebrate the community that had been so supportive, regardless of how people decide to label her or her sexual orientation.
Final Thoughts
Ariana Grande is a big supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. She is a great role model and she has given so many of the community strength and visibility.
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