The Born this Way Foundation launched today.

Bullying: “it ends today.”

A few quotes via Kristof in the NY Times (click here to read the full bit, it’s well worth it):

“…she decided instead to use her followers to start a bottom-up movement to try to make it cooler for young people to be nice.

I asked Lady Gaga if people won’t be cynical about an agenda so simple and straightforward as kindling kindness. Exceptionally articulate, she seemed for the first time at a loss for words. “That cynicism is exactly what we’re trying to change,” she finally said.

Bullying isn’t, of course, just physical violence…”

And…

“…Her aim is a far broader movement to change the culture and create a more supportive and tolerant environment. “It’s more of a hippie approach,” she explained. “

Lady Gaga:

“I was called really horrible, profane names very loudly in front of huge crowds of people, and my schoolwork suffered at one point,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to class. And I was a straight-A student, so there was a certain point in my high school years where I just couldn’t even focus on class because I was so embarrassed all the time. I was so ashamed of who I was.”

Click here to read the rest.

Click here to connect with the Born this Way Foundation.

Here’s a bit of the opening launch, today: