will never forget the first time she stepped into a gay bar

18 years old when she walked through the doors of a Boston nightclub called The Prelude

second time I went in, I was like, ‘OK, my people

to Etheridge on the carpet at the American Music Awards on Sunday afternoon

goes out to all my brothers and sisters in Colorado Springs,” Etheridge said

we have in our society – the fear of others – is an epidemic and a disease

that people who are different are to be feared created this sort of event

my safe place as a trans girl, as a teenager, as someone who didn’t

grew up in Germany and is now based in Los Angeles, called for stricter gun

place where I feel accepted and free is a gay club,” she said