GetEQUAL is calling on Lady Gaga, who has a concert scheduled in Phoenix on July 31, to take a stand on the Arizona immigration law.
They write, in an email:
"You've probably heard of the horrifyingly discriminatory law that was passed in Arizona (SB 1070) in April 2010, which would have asked anyone who 'looked' like they might be undocumented to show proof of their citizenship or risk immediate deportation. While parts of the law were blocked yesterday by a federal judge, migrant communities in Arizona have been suffering discrimination and hatred long before SB 1070 and will continue to fight until a full injunction takes place.
As a community of people who understand what government-sanctioned discrimination feels like, it's important that the LGBT community stand strong with those who are experiencing the same type of discrimination at the hands of others…especially when there are many places where our communities overlap.
We're working with progressive activists in Arizona, who have called for businesses and performers to boycott the state. Many have — but Lady Gaga is planning to move forward with plans for a concert in Phoenix on July 31. We're joining groups in Phoenix in asking her to make a public statement at the concert against SB 1070 and to stand with the immigrant community in Arizona and beyond."
The group has posted a petition created by Arizona activists calling on Gaga to boycott Arizona or make a statement about the discrimination faced by immigrants there.
As I noted yesterday, a federal judge has blocked the most heinous elements of the law from going into effect with an injunction against the state. Arizona appealed that ruling today.
