Besides balancing her careers as a pop singer and shoe designer, Katy Perry also uses her star power as an outspoken gay-rights advocate.
And her commitment to the community was recognized on Saturday, when she was presented with the National Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gala in Los Angeles. The HRC is one of the most prominent LGBT civil rights organizations in the country.
As usual, the hitmaker stepped out in style for the ceremony, wearing an elegant black-and-white gown by Rosario that she referenced in her acceptance speech.
“I speak my truths and I paint my fantasies into these bite-sized pop songs. For instance, ‘I Kissed a Girl’ and I liked it,” she said of her first hit. “Truth be told, A) I did more than that. But B) How was I going to reconcile that with a gospel-singing girl raised in youth groups that were pro-conversion camps? What I did know was that I was curious, and sexuality isn’t always as black or white than this dress. And honestly, I haven’t always gotten it right, but in 2008 when that song came out, I knew that I started a conversation and a lot of the world seemed curious enough to sing along, too.”
The Katy Perry Footwear designer later took to Twitter to share a video of her speech, writing, “I will never cease to be a champion, an ally, a spotlight and a loving voice for all LGBTQ-identifying people.”
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Perry’s black-and-white dress featured a halter-neck bodice and voluminous black ruffles around the bust and back.
Though the body-hugging dress had a floor-length hem, her pointed-toe black pumps were visible when she posed for photos.
The event also honored America Ferrera with the Ally for Equality Award. The “Ugly Betty” actress wore a blue Stella Nolasco dress with semi-sheer illusion panels, and she teamed the look with wine-colored platform sandals. She shared a friendly kiss with “Girls” star Lena Dunham on the blue carpet.
“…and I liked it,” Ferrera captioned the smooch, referencing Perry’s hit “I Kissed a Girl.”
Click through the gallery to see more celebrities at the 2017 HRC gala in Los Angeles.
