Music plays a huge part in the lives of many gay men. Whether they’re performing or simply enjoying, music is a passion for many of us. Some people may disagree with me on this, as always, but it is hard to deny that Lady Gaga has a huge gay following.

This week, however, I don’t want to go into detail about why gay men like Lady Gaga as it’s painfully obvious. She’s gay-friendly, upbeat, and covered in glitter. Of course we like her. Instead I would like to address a particular trend going around regarding her.

Today I will be writing about gay men who refuse to like her and use others’ interest in her as justification to not take their musical interests seriously.

I don’t care if you don’t like Lady Gaga. You’re entitled to your opinion and nobody is going to force you to like her music. I get that she’s not for everyone, and her over-the-top antics can be a little bit tiring. I don’t personally enjoy all of her songs, nor do I call myself a “little monster” or anything like that. That said, I think that what she’s doing is incredibly beneficial to LGBT youth.

There are so few positive role models for LGBT youth in today’s music industry. Many who are affirming fear making a public statement of their support lest they lose their fanbase. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, doesn’t give a shit what people think of her. She is who she is and she tells everyone how she feels. She makes LGBT youth feel good about themselves, and she lets them know that who they are is perfect.

What I am trying to say is that even if you dislike Lady Gaga and think that her music is absolutely shitty, you cannot deny that she has done some important things. If just one child decided to not kill him or herself because of her empowering lyrics, she is worth having around. She is doing a lot to bring gay rights into the spotlight, for a generation that is thin on political activism.