I thought equality was non-negotiable.

Some of us wear the mask prouder than others.

It is fair to write about the change in your magazines. But what I want to see is the change on your covers ... When the covers change, that's when culture changes.

It's been a very remarkable year, and I feel very blessed. I lived an isolated lifestyle before the media. I lived a life of solitude and loyalty and commitment to my work. I just don't prioritize my life in the same way that other people do. The only thing that matters is my music and my performance.

I feel that homophobia runs rampant in the music industry, and that artists are allowed to speak openly in a hateful way, in a homophobic way, in a misogynistic way, and the press does not challenge them. And I'm going to be taking a very strong stance against that, and I am an artist who refuses to accept that behavior.

The instrument that I never learned how to play was my fans. You know, they are the part of the story that nobody teaches you. I just want to do the right thing; I want to be a voice with them, among them.

If you’re going through a dark time... don’t ever give up. You can always make your way back to the other end of that circle and find your happiness again.