feature image photo by Variety / Contributor via Getty Images
Doechii Presents Lady Gaga with iHeartRadio’s Innovator Award
Doechii, Lady Gaga at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on March 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christoper Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
Some of the queer things that happened at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards include but are not limited to SZA taking home the R&B artist of the year award for the third year, Billie Eilish introducing Gracie Abrams as breakthrough artist of the year, Becky G and Victoria Monet presenting awards, with JoJo Siwa, Madison Beer, and more in the audience.
Among the gayest was when queer rapper Doechii presented Lady Gaga with the Innovator of the Year award.
Doechii said growing up, she was the queer “weird” kid and that to her younger self, Lady Gaga wasn’t just any ol’ pop star to her, she was an inspiration, and a lifeline. Doechii said, “Gaga taught us that it was okay to be our real selves, to try new things, to try anything, to speak out and to create.” She goes on to say Lady Gaga pushed boundaries and innovated out of necessity. Doechii concluded her introduction by saying, “She was born that way, and we love her for it.”
And when presenting Lady Gaga with that award, Doechii said Lady Gaga was inspiring to her as a queer “weird” kid
Gaga returned the compliment, saying Doechii is an innovator already. She also added that it feels a little weird to be getting a sort of lifetime achievement award when she’s only 38 years old. She said, “the world might consider a woman in her late 30s old for a pop star — which is insane¸— I promise that I’m just getting warmed up.” She encourages people to embrace their authenticity, and thanks her Little Monsters and the LGBTQ+ community for seeing her, supporting her, and teaching her bravery. “Your courage fuels mine every single day.”
Lady Gaga ended her speech with some advice for everyone: “The world doesn’t need another copy, it desperately needs your original.”
Abracadabra, More News!
+ Queer actress Caitlin Stasey guested on this week’s episode of Watson as a queer patient with a mystery illness that makes her memory reset every three minutes
+ Miley Cyrus is releasing her ninth album, Something Beautiful, on May 30 that will feature 13 original tracks
+ Being Maria is a biopic of bisexual actress Maria Schneider and her life after a traumatic role in Last Tango in Paris
+ Max released The Last of Us Season 2 character portraits on Instagram including Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Isabela Merced as Dina, and Rutina Wesley as Maria
+ Janelle Monáe calls Tr*mp a bully as they accept the HRC Equality Award but plans to stand up and fight, saying, “We will challenge the giant.”
+ Seth Rogan’s upcoming comedy series The Studio will guest star famous queer actors (and queer-adjacent faves) such as Olivia Wilde, Zoë Kravitz, Quinta Brunson, Greta Lee, Jean Smart, and more
+ Some people are apparently underwhelmed by Lucy Dacus’s latest solo album, Forever is a Feeling
+ Erin Doherty (from The Crown and Adolescence) talked to Elizabeth Day about coming out in her mid-20s
+ Liv Hewson talks feeling confident in their identity, and wanting more awards shows to create gender-neutral categories
+ K-Pop’s Lara Raj of Katseye came out as queer, calling herself “half fruitcake” and that she’s known since she was little
+ Olympic gold-medal gymnast Jade Carey posted about her girlfriend Aimee to the support of fellow Olympians like Simone Biles, Stephen Nedoroscik, and the official Team USA gymnastics account
+ If you’re already missing Severance, Kayla has some queer books you can read with similar vibes
+ El*n M*sk’s trans daughter reacts to him saying she was “killed by the woke mind virus” by saying, “People thrive off of fear. I’m not giving anyone that space in my mind. The only thing that gets to live free in my mind are drag queens.”
+ In case you’re still reeling from that White Lotus “ladyboy” monologue, here’s an interesting piece about the kathoey identity in Thailand
+ And to leave you on some cute news: please watch this lesbian penguin named Green Bean bring her partner Randi a toy ball for their nest, set to Chappell Roan’s “The Giver”
