Ariana Grande will bring her steadfast support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to the New York stage.
The 21-year-old pop princess is set to headline the Dance on the Pier, which caps off New York's LGBT Pride Week, Heritage of Pride representatives revealed in a press release. When she hits Manhattan's Pier 26 on June 28, Grande will follow in the footsteps of Cher, Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Houston, all of whom have delivered memorable performances in honor of New York's Pride festivities.
Dance on the Pier Director José Ramos said in an email statement that he was "delighted" by Grande's participation, noting that the event was "a highly-anticipated part of Pride, thanks in part to amazing DJs and incredible performers. This year will be no different."
Also set to appear at the event are DJs Wayne G, The Cube Guys and Ralphi Rosario, officials said.
Grande has been an outspoken LGBT rights advocate for some time. In 2014, she defended her gay brother, "Big Brother" house member Frankie Grande, after an Internet troll allegedly used a homophobic slur against him on Instagram.
The superstar said that her love and support for her brother has made her question her Catholic upbringing and turn instead to Kabbalah: "When my brother was told that God didn’t love him I was like, 'OK, that's not cool.'"
Grande has also said that her song, "Break Your Heart Right Back," was "about a boy that cheats on a girl with another boy," something she said she'd personally experienced.
"It's one of my favorites on the album and it’s really funny because I believe it has happened to me," she told UK's Metro. "I would rather he cheats on me with a guy than with a girl any day! If I found out my boyfriend was gay, I would be like 'OK!' I’d be so relieved."
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