The Born This Way Ball (concert)
Artist: Lady Gaga
Year: 2012
Date of Action: April-May 2012
Region: Asia
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia and Seoul, South Korea
Subject: Explicit Sexuality, Religion, Sexual/Gender Orientation, Youth
Medium: Music
Confronting Bodies: Islamic Defenders Front, Indonesia's national police, Korea Media Rating Board, Civilian's Network against the Lady Gaga Concert, Alliance for Sound Culture in Sexuality
Description of Artwork: The artist sang music from her recently released album "Born This Way."
The Incident: Lady Gaga had set her "Born This Way Ball" Asian conference tour to begin in Seoul, South Korea when protestors from Christian groups, including the Civilians Network against the Lady Gaga Concert and the Alliance for Sound Culture in Sexuality,[1] sought to ban the show for its "obscene," "homosexual" and "pornographic" content that "could 'taint' the nation's youth." [2]
The same concert was also set to perform in Indonesia on June 3, and faced protests from primarily Islamic groups, such as the Islamic Defenders Front, who threatened violence against the singer if she chose to continue with the performance. [3]
Results of Incident: The concert in Seoul was allowed to continue, but the Korea Media Rating Board elevated the age rating from 12 to 18, effectively banning minors from attendance.
The concert in Jakarta was initially denied its permit for performance, although that decision was later rescinded on the condition that Lady Gaga "agree to tone things down." However, the show was ultimately cancelled due to threats of violence from the Islamic Defenders Front. [4]
The concert also had considerable protest from Christian and Islamic groups in the Philippines for its Manila concert, but was allowed to be performed uncensored.