Katy Perry is calling on her fellow celebrities to “stand for something” and use their voices to speak out about political issues.
The pop sensation has been outspoken in her support of women’s rights and issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community, and she insists more stars should be doing the same.
“I don’t think you have to shout it from the rooftops, but I think you have to stand for something,” Perry tells Vogue in a new interview. “And if you’re not standing for anything, you’re really just serving yourself, period, end of story.”
The 32-year-old, who appears on the cover of the fashion magazine’s May (17) issue, famously threw her support behind former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the November (16) elections, and she has made no secret of her disdain for President Donald Trump’s controversial views and policies, revealing his shock victory affected her on a deeply personal level.
“I was really disheartened for a while; it just brought up a lot of trauma for me,” she says. “Misogyny and sexism were in my childhood: I have an issue with suppressive males and not being seen as equal. I felt like a little kid again being faced with a scary, controlling guy.”
The singer’s passion for bringing about political change has also influenced her creatively. The Firework hitmaker admits her upbeat early songs lacked a social message and it’s something she is keen to change going forward.
“California Gurls and fluffy stuff would be completely inauthentic to who I am now and what I’ve learned,” she explains. “I do believe we need a little escapism, but I think that it can’t all be that. If you have a voice, you have a responsibility to use it now more than ever.”
The star’s remarks emerge just weeks after actress Lola Kirke blasted Katy’s pop rival Taylor Swift for failing to use her influence to speak out against Trump.
“I totally understand why some people won’t do that (speak out),” the Mozart in the Jungle star said. “I definitely think that there are certain celebrities who really could offer more help to grassroots movements with their power – and don’t.”
“Like Taylor f**king Swift,” she added, “who may as well have voted for Trump, as far as I’m concerned, by not doing anything.”
