While it could be argued that Ariana Grande’s entire career is a love letter to the LGBTQ community, the pop star wrote a literal one to celebrate the kick-off of Pride Month.
Grande has long been an outspoken advocate for queer people everywhere, headlining pride events or speaking out against homophobia in interviews.
“My music being embraced and celebrated by the LGBTQ community is all I ever truly cared about when I thought about my career goals early on,” she wrote in a letter for Billboard. “There’s no award I could win or accolade I could receive that would fulfill me more than seeing a 6-foot queen with a 4-foot ponytail walk into my meet n greet and say ‘hey girl’ or meeting a young queer person at Starbucks and them letting me know that my music has helped them become who they are. Literally nothing.”
The “No Tears Left To Cry” singer gave a shoutout to her out and proud older brother, Frankie Grande, who she said she “idolized” growing up. Grande credited her accepting family for fostering an accepting environment from an early age.
When Frankie came out, she recounted, her grandfather only had one thing to say: “Congrats! Can we go to dinner now? I’m fuckin’ hungry.”
“I am eternally indebted to and inspired by the LGBTQ community. I hope to create anthems for you that wrap you up with comfort and make you get your best life for as long as I live,” she concluded. “Thank you for celebrating me the way I celebrate you.”
The lead single off of Grande’s upcoming album, “Sweetner” featured an image of the singer with rainbow light streaming across her face.
Grande is one of a slew of pop stars to write letters for the outlet this month with icons like Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera also expressing their gratitude for their LGBTQ fans.
To read Grande’s full letter, head over to head over to Billboard..
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