Picture this: You’re a gay teenager who’s been kicked out of your home for being who you are. You’re living in a shelter, trying to survive each day while the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally have turned their backs on you.
Then one day, Lady Gaga walks through the door with her arms full of presents and tells you she loves you.
That’s exactly what happened a few years ago when Gaga surprised residents at the Ali Forney Center in Harlem – and honestly, watching this video today still hits different.
More Than Just a Photo Op
The Ali Forney Center isn’t your typical charity case. It’s a lifeline for LGBTQ kids who’ve been thrown away by their own families, named after Ali Forney, a transgender teen who died tragically in 1997.
When Gaga showed up there in 2016 as part of NBC’s #ShareTheKindness campaign, she didn’t just drop off some gifts and leave. She stayed. She listened. She cried right along with them.
“Kindness to me is an action of love or a showing of love to someone else,” she said, her voice already getting emotional. “I also believe that kindness is the cure to violence and hatred around the world.”
The Moment That Broke Everyone
But here’s where it gets real. One of the teens opened up to her about his story, and man, it’s heartbreaking: “When my family was pushing me away because I’m gay, all I had was you and the Born This Way album on repeat.”
Gaga’s immediate response? “Thank you for being alive.”
Let that sink in for a second. This kid had been rejected by everyone who was supposed to matter, and here’s Lady Gaga thanking him for simply existing.
She Gets It Because She’s Been There
What makes this visit so powerful isn’t just the celebrity factor – it’s that Gaga genuinely understands.
“These children are not just homeless or in need,” she explained. “Many of them are trauma survivors. They’ve been rejected in some type of way. My own trauma in my life has helped me to understand the trauma of others.”
She wasn’t speaking from some ivory tower. She was connecting human to human, survivor to survivor.
Watch the visit as documented on The Today Show:
Why This Still Matters Today
Fast forward to 2025, and the Ali Forney Center is still doing incredible work. They’ve grown into the largest organization serving LGBTQ homeless youth in the country, operating multiple locations across NYC.
Meanwhile, Gaga has continued being our fierce advocate while conquering Hollywood (A Star Is Born, anyone?) and topping charts with hits like Die With a Smile.
But sometimes it’s these quieter moments that remind us why we fell in love with her in the first place. She showed up for kids who had nowhere else to turn, brought them T-shirts and socks and hope, and reminded them that they matter.