Born This Way Foundation (sometimes abbreviated as BTWF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by American artist and activist Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Named after the singer's album Born This Way (2011), the Foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and working with them to "make the world kinder and braver".
The Foundation prioritizes the mental health and wellness of young people by working to promote kindness and open and honest conversations about mental health, validating the emotions of young people, and eradicating the stigma around mental health.
Furthermore, the Foundation works to "connect, engage, and inspire young people — on the road, in their communities, and online". The Foundation's programs focus on modeling healthy conversations about mental wellness, connecting youth with resources and services, and fostering communities that prioritize mental health.
Background
In the documentary “Inside the Outside", Lady Gaga described how she has been bullied herself during her adolescence, being thrown in a trash can while classmates looked on. The singer often shares her personal experiences with the public, and has always hoped to “establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment. She and her mother started BTWF to work with young people and provide the skills and opportunities they need to build a kinder and braver world.
When Lady Gaga launched the Foundation with her mother in 2012, she stated to the Washington Post, “Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others…"
In a PBS interview, Cynthia Germanotta stated that Lady Gaga was bullied at an early age and subsequently developed anxiety and depression, struggling with mental illness throughout college. As her career took off, she talked openly about her mental health challenges and the importance of kindness.
In 2016, Lady Gaga discussed the importance of kindness and compassion at the 84th Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. She joined the 14th Dalai Lama at the event to talk about building "compassionate cities" around the country. During her speech, Gaga told city representatives, "Kindness is a free currency from a well that will never dry up," and, "The most efficient way for you to act with young people is to be a calming force."
Cynthia Germanotta told PBS in 2018 that the Foundation was “built out of a lifelong passion to help young people. Our mission has always been to build a kinder and braver world … By creating safe communities for young people and offering skills and opportunities to empower them and inspire them...” In doing so, the Foundation focuses on promoting kindness, creating positive environments, and encouraging mental wellness among youth.
Executive Director Maya Enista Smith additionally stated that the Foundation exists “to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and equip young people to have those conversations that lead to that destigmatization.”
In October 2018, Lady Gaga was named as one of Elle's Women in Hollywood honorees. During her acceptance speech, she encouraged everyone to “work together to beckon the world towards kindness” and opened up about the PTSD she developed after she was assaulted at age 19. She additionally advocated for stronger mental health resources, stating she wanted to see mental health become a “global priority”.
“It is my personal dream that there would be a mental health expert teacher or therapist in every school in this nation and hopefully, one day, around the world,” Lady Gaga said. “Let’s lift our voices. I know we are, but let’s get louder. And not just as women. But as humans.”
In November 2018, Lady Gaga accepted the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Artists Inspiration Award, and in a 25-minute speech shared her own mental health struggles, advocated for stronger mental health resources in the industry by requesting SAG-AFTRA partner with the Foundation, and encouraged people to share their mental health stories.
“When I speak about mental health, even or especially when I’m speaking about mine, it is often met with quietness, or maybe a somber line of fans waiting outside to whisper to me in the shadows about their darkest secrets,” she said in her acceptance speech. “We need to bring mental health into the light. We need to share our stories so that global mental health no longer resides and festers in the darkness.”