Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation Kicks Off Feb. 29th

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation will kick off on Feb. 29.

The nonprofit will kick off its mission with an event at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre. Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society has partnered with Gaga for the new nonprofit, as has the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the California Endowment.

The new foundation will focus on “issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development.”

Her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, will co-direct the foundation.

Lady Gaga Calls For Meeting With Obama After Teen’s Suicide

Lady Gaga was so shaken with the news about the death of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer this weekend that she has called for President Obama to enact laws making bullying a hate crime.

Rodemeyer, who had posted an “It Gets Better” video in May about his long struggle with bullying at school, took his life on Sunday after what his parents said was years of taunting over his sexuality.

In his video, Rodemeyer cited Gaga as an inspiration, saying, “She makes me so happy. She lets me know that I was born this way. And that’s my advice to you from her: You were born this way. All you have to do is hold your head up and you’ll go far.” The teen seems on the verge of tears when discussing Gaga’s message and promising to keep on going despite the hate.

On Wednesday, Gaga expressed her sadness over Rodemeyer’s death. “The past days I’ve spent reflecting, crying, and yelling,” she tweeted. “I have so much anger. It is hard to feel love when cruelty takes someone’s life.” She went further, posting Rodemeyer’s “Better” video, and insisting that bullying “must become illegal. It is a hate crime.”

In fact, Gaga claimed in a subsequent tweet, she’s so upset that she is planning to meet with President Obama on the matter.

“I will not stop fighting,” she wrote. “This must end. Our generation has the power to end it. Trend it #MakeALawForJamey.” A spokesperson for the White House could not confirm at press time if Gaga has officially set up a meeting with the president to discuss the issue.

MTV’s ongoing “A Thin Line” project provides stories and resources for anyone who believes they are being cyberbullied or who is looking for ways to stop harassment by digital means.

Amy Winehouse Foundation launches on late singer’s b-day

A charitable foundation was launched in memory of British singer Amy Winehouse on Wednesday, marking what would have been the artist’s 28th birthday.
The Amy Winehouse Foundation aims to help young people in the Britain and abroad with problems including ill-health, disability and addiction – causes close to the “Back to Black” singer’s heart, her family said.

“Amy was very generous and we kept coming back to the thought of how much she loved children,” Winehouse’s father Mitch said in a statement.

“It seemed appropriate that the focus of our work should be with young people, those who are vulnerable either through ill health or circumstance. Amy touched millions throughout the world and I know she will continue to, through the Foundation,” he said.

The launch of the foundation coincided with the release of Winehouse’s final recording, “Body and Soul,” a duet with 85-year-old crooner Tony Bennett.
Proceeds from sales of the track are to form one of the first major donations to the charitable fund.

The hit album “Back to Black,” one of only two released by Winehouse during her brief career, earned the singer five Grammy awards and featured her most famous single “Rehab.”

As well as her music, the beehive-haired star was infamous for her long struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, although a toxicology report showed she was not taking illegal drugs at the time of her death.

Lady Gaga and Barneys team up for 2011 holiday campaign

Luxury department store Barneys is teaming up with flamboyant pop singer Lady Gaga for a Christmas holiday campaign and window display called “Gaga’s Workshop.”

Barneys said on Monday it would turn over an entire floor of its flagship Madison Ave, New York, store to the pop singer’s interpretation of Santa’s Workshop, as well as dedicating its 2011 holiday window display to the Gaga theme.

Small limited edition gift items created by the “Born This Way” singer and Nicola Formichetti will also be available for sale, while signature artwork will be featured on Barneys holiday shopping bags and packaging.

Barneys New York chief executive Mark Lee said it would be the largest and most encompassing holiday theme ever mounted by the upscale fashion retailer.

“As a New York city landmark, we wanted to celebrate Lady Gaga as a fellow New Yorker and amazing talent,” Lee said in a statement.
Known as much for her bizarre outfits as her string of hit records and music awards, Lady Gaga, 25, was born Stefani Germanotta and raised in New York City.

Barneys said it would donate 25 percent of all the items featured in Gaga’s Workshop to a charity of the singer’s choice.

Lady Gaga Pushes Target To Donate To Gay Rights Groups

Lady Gaga is set to release a limited edition of her new single Born This Way at U.S. retailer Target after bosses agreed to donate to gay rights groups.

Gaga met with Target executives to demand they increase their support for equal rights charities, and make amends for previously supporting political candidates perceived as anti-gay.

As a result of their meeting with the pop star, company chiefs have promised to give more to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community – and Gaga will allow them to sell a special edition of her hit.

She tells Billboard.com, “That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I’ve ever had in a business meeting. Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they’ve made in the past.”

“Our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those (anti-gay) groups.”

This is huge, and leave it to Lady Gaga to force Target to start making smarter decisions as well as doing what’s right.

Alicia Keys’s Charity Reached It’s $1M Fundraising Goal

Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and a handful of other celebrities can sign back online, thanks to donations from their fans and a philanthropist.

Keys announced Monday that her charity, Keep a Child Alive, reached its $1 million fundraising goal in honor of last week’s World AIDS Day.

A slew of celebrities signed off digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook last Wednesday and asked their fans to donate to the charity, which supports families affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa and India.

The celebrities could sign back online when the $1 million fundraising goal was met.

The entertainers and their fans raised $500,000, and philanthropist Stewart Rahr matched it.

Participants in the Digital Death campaign included Ryan Seacrest, Justin Timberlake, Usher and Kim Kardashian.

Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga sign off Twitter for charity

Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga take charity work seriously, and they’re going offline to prove it.

Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher and other celebrities have joined a new campaign called Digital Life Sacrifice on behalf of Keys’ charity, Keep a Child Alive. The entertainers plan to sign off of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday, which is World AIDS Day.

The participants will sign back on when the charity raises $1 million.

“It’s really important and super-cool to use mediums that we naturally are on,” Keys said in a phone interview from New York last week.
For the campaign — which also includes Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Seacrest, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Elijah Wood, Serena Williams, Janelle Monae and Keys’ husband, Swizz Beatz — celebrities have filmed “last tweet and testament” videos and will appear in ads showing them lying in coffins to represent what the campaign calls their digital deaths.

“It’s so important to shock you to the point of waking up,” Keys said. “It’s not that people don’t care or it’s not that people don’t want to do something, it’s that they never thought of it quite like that.”

The campaign, she said, puts the disease in perspective.

“This is such a direct and instantly emotional way and a little sarcastic, you know, of a way to get people to pay attention,” said Keys, who has more than 2.6 million followers on Twitter.

The foundation, which began in 2003, will accept donations through text messages and bar-code technology, which is featured in the charity’s Buy Life campaign. Raised efforts support families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

“We’re trying to sort of make the remark: Why do we care so much about the death of one celebrity as opposed to millions and millions of people dying in the place that we’re all from?” said Leigh Blake, the president and co-founder of Keep a Child Alive.

“It’s about love and respect and human dignity,” she added.

Keys said recruiting celebrities was difficult because of scheduling, but “once I got people on the phone and I was able to paint the concept for them, everybody was in.”

Not one person said no, Keys recalled.

“I have a feeling that Gaga is going to raise it all by herself,” Blake said. Lady Gaga has more than 7.2 million followers on Twitter, and nearly 24 million fans on Facebook.

“She’s got a very, very mobilized fan base and that’s beautiful to watch I think (and) she’s able to draw their attention to these issues that are very important, you know, and that people follow it and act.”

Keys is hoping more people — both famous folks and non-celebs — get involved once the new initiative launches: “It just doesn’t have to be just because you’re a celebrity or something like that. It can be anybody.”

Keys, 29, married rapper-producer Swizz Beatz in July. The two had their first son, Egypt, last month. The Grammy winner said that though her life’s getting busier, being a mother and wife makes her want to help others even more.

“As a human being, you deserve to have a chance at life,” she said.

OK Go’s Clever New Video For “White Knuckles” Features Rescued Dogs

The guys of OK Go have done it again, another impressive video for their single “White Knuckles.” The video is done in one take and includes some crazy choeography with chairs, furniture, and several dogs, all of which are rescued.

Check out the video for OK Go’s “White Knuckles” –

Donate to animal rescue at http://www.okgo.net/dogs

Katharine McPhee Launches U.S. Hunger-Free Summer Initiative for Kids

For many kids, the end of the school year is a time to celebrate, plan summer vacations, and play with friends. But for millions of children, the time away from school means not knowing where their next meal will come from. With the goal of helping ensure more children have enough to eat all year long, ConAgra Foods has partnered with Feeding America to create the Hunger-Free Summer initiative.

Among those supporting the program is 2006 “American Idol” runner-up, Katharine McPhee.

“This summer, I am going to be traveling across the country to Feeding America food banks from Orlando to Los Angeles – to volunteer my time and, more importantly, to raise awareness about this important issue,” said McPhee. “I want to challenge every community to come together to help end child hunger in the United States.”

McPhee is launching Hunger-Free Summer on Wednesday, July 7, with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida in Orlando at New Image Youth Center from 11:30a.m. until 1:00p.m. While at the site, Katharine will be volunteering her time, raising awareness for the cause, and singing with the children served by the center.

Throughout the month of July, McPhee will travel across the country to other Feeding America food banks to raise awareness. Upcoming locations and dates include:

— Irvine, Calif. – Monday, July 12
— Little Rock, Ark. – Wednesday, July 14
— Houston, Texas – Week of July 26

For more information, please visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org/summer or http://feedingamerica.org/hungerfreesummer.

Jason Mraz To Perform At 10th Annual Trevor New York Summer Gala

Jason Mraz will be performing at the 10th annual Trevor New York Summer Gala on Monday, June 28th. Celebrity guests will include Dustin Lance Black, Mark Consuelos, Ardin Myrin, Ana Ortiz, Kelly Ripa and more. The Trevor Project will also honor actress/singer Vanessa Williams.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. For more information, visit TheTrevorProject.org.

Jason Mraz, always a passionate and vocal advocate for national marriage equality, wears the “Fight For Equality” pendant and appears in the “Give A Damn” marriage equality information campaign alongside Elton John, Sharon Osbourne, Anna Paquin and others.

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