Trans people deserve love: Gaga’s speech in Texas raises censorship concerns

Lady Gaga‘s acceptance speech at the Grammys has caused a stir. Some viewers in Texas claim censorship was at play when the broadcast abruptly cut out during her speech.

Gaga’s powerful words

Gaga, 38, won her 14th Grammy award on Sunday night. She was on stage with Bruno Mars as they accepted the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance trophy. Her words were powerful. “Trans people are not invisible,” she declared. “Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up.”

Broadcast cut in Brownsville

However, in Brownsville, Texas, the moment was cut short. Viewers on Reddit immediately took to the platform. “Did anyone else notice? The broadcast cut to commercial just as Gaga and Bruno won. I didn’t hear her speech,” one user wrote. “I later saw it online. Gaga was speaking for trans rights. I think censorship happened, but I’m not sure if it’s just my region.” Others across Texas agreed. “Same here,” said another Reddit user. “It’s really scary.” Yet, some viewers in Dallas and Houston said they saw the entire speech.

KVEO’s apology and explanation

KVEO, the station in question, responded quickly. Jeff Miller, the station’s vice president, confirmed a technical error. The glitch occurred at 9:50 p.m., right before Gaga and Mars began speaking. The commercial break was triggered by a “switch” being accidentally bumped.

“We’ve fixed the issue,” Miller wrote in an email. “We’ve adjusted our technology and set up new protocols to prevent this in the future.” The station also apologized on its website and linked to the video of the Grammy speeches. “We’re sorry for the disruption. No malice was involved,” Miller said.

Gaga’s long-time support for the LGBTQIA+ community

Gaga has long been an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. Her pro-trans message comes just days after President Donald Trump’s controversial actions. The former president rolled back diversity and inclusion efforts. His administration also removed transgender references from federal websites and declared the US would only recognize male and female genders.

Texas’ Governor follows suit

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott is pushing similar policies. Just hours before the Grammys, he announced that Texas would only recognize two genders. The timing of Gaga’s speech only added fuel to the fire.

Many believe the interruption wasn’t just a coincidence. Was it censorship or just a technical glitch? The mystery continues to spark debates across the state.