Demi Lovato Wrote a "Love Letter to the LGBTQ Community"

Demi Lovato is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community. She wore a shirt with a gender-neutral bathroom symbol for her Billboard Music Awards performance last year, and the following month, she wrote a message expressing her support in the wake of the Orlando shooting. This year, in honor of Pride Month, she demonstrated her allyship by writing a "Love Letter to the LGBTQ Community" for Billboard.

Her letter describes how inspired she is by the way LGBTQ people have promoted love and acceptance, even in the face of hate. "This is for some of my closest friends, for the young gay men who dance their hearts out at my shows, for the fabulous drag queens at bingo night who own every room they walk in to, and for a wonderful and kind community who have embraced, loved, and championed me for as long as I can remember," it reads. "Every single interaction I’ve ever had with the LGBTQ community has always been filled with pure love, enthusiasm, and passion for life. I know there are millions of people out there who feel exactly the same way as I do."


She also described how saddened she is by the discrimination LGBTQ people face and the government's attacks on their rights. "I struggle with wrapping my head around the fact that we live in a world where love and equal rights still have to be questioned or discounted," she wrote. "You all have been a huge part of my life and my existence. You inspire, empower, and encourage me every day, and I will continue to stand with you and will give you all the same and more in return."

Demi told People last year that she doesn't label her sexuality. "I grew up in a home where there was absolutely nothing wrong with somebody identifying as another sex or liking the same sex," she added. "People will say, 'Thank you so much for all that you do.' And my response is: It’s just something that people should already be doing."

She's absolutely right: Regardless of how you identify, being an ally to the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups is the right thing to do. In a world where many people still judge others by their gender or sexual orientation, showing solidarity with LGBTQ people instead can go a long way.