Selena Gomez: My mum hired a drag queen for my 16th birthday party
Selena Gomez has spoken about growing up surrounded by LGBT people in a letter marking Pride month.
The singer opened up in a letter for Billboard, which is marking Pride Month by asking cultural icons write ‘love letters’ to the LGBTQ community.
In her letter, Gomez opened up about being surrounded by LGBT people from a young age.
The Good for You singer wrote: “I remember as a young child going to brunch on Sundays with my mom and her group of friends.
“I had no idea they were all gay as I didn’t even comprehend what that meant at the time. All I knew is that I loved being surrounded by these kind, fun and loving friends my mother had around her.
“I definitely give credit to her for raising me in an environment that was incredibly open-minded and non-judgmental.
“She also surprised me at my 16th birthday party with a performance by the most beautiful drag queen singing my favorite song. I don’t think most 16 year olds can say that!”
Gomez also credited songwriting partner Justin Tranter with opening her eyes to the LGBTQ rights movement, after watching Madonna documentary Truth or Dare.
She said: “I loved it and was especially struck by how groundbreaking it was for the gay rights movement and how far LGBTQ rights have come in my lifetime.
“There is still a significant amount of work to do and I look forward to the day when a person is never judged, discriminated or feared for their sexuality.”
Gomez previously played a concert in North Carolina to raise funds for groups battling the state’s anti-LGBT laws.
The singer explained at the time: “I am very fortunate to have grown up in a home where I learned from an early age that everyone should be treated equally.
“I went back and forth on whether I should cancel my concert in North Carolina and ultimately I think what is right for me is to move forward with my show and donate a portion of the proceeds to Equality North Carolina and their effort to defeat this act of discrimination.”
The former Disney star opened up about her own sexuality after denying rumours she was dating Cara Delevingne.
She said: “Oh, I think everybody [questions their sexuality], no matter who they are… I do, yeah, of course. Absolutely.
“I think it’s healthy to gain a perspective on who you are deep down, question yourself and challenge yourself; it’s important to do that.”
