London 3/25/2011 7:00:00 PM
News / Entertainment

Lady Gaga wants fans to protest

Lady Gaga wants her Malaysian fans to "protest peaceably" at the decision to censor the lyrics to her single 'Born This Way'.

Included in the song are the words, "no matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian or transgendered life, I'm on the right track, baby," and non-government radio stations in the Muslim country have garbled the line to make it unintelligible to listeners.

However, the 24-year-old pop star has encouraged "young people" in the country to have their voices heard and demand AMP Networks - the largest private radio operator in Malaysia - play the full version.

She said: "All the young people in Malaysia that want those words to be played on the radio, it is your job and it is your duty as young people to have your voices heard.

"You must do everything that you can if you want to be liberated by your society. You must call, you must not stop, you must protest peaceably."

Malaysian gay rights activist Pang Khee Teik has also hit out at the decision of the radio group to censor the single, insisting it had "cut out" the point of the song.

He said: "Lady Gaga was trying to address this very thing in her song. How dare they play that song and cut out its shining heart."

The 'Alejandro' hitmaker is an outspoken supporter of gay rights, and she campaigned for the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy requiring homosexual servicemen and women in the US Army to keep quiet about their sexuality to be stopped.

When the rule was overturned late last year, Lady Gaga tweeted: "Can't hold back the tears + pride. We did it!! Our voice was hear + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 years.

"Today I am so proud to be an American. I wish I was home so I could throw a Parade. We are on the way to full equal. (sic)"