Lady Gaga sang the national anthem at the New York City Gay Pride kick-off rally!

Lady Gaga has always been BEYOND supportive of the LGBT community. She started the Born This Way Foundation, created the Born Brave Bus, and even earned a Trever Hero award from the Trevor Project for all her support to gay youth. (And let's not forget that "Born This Way" is basically this millennium's anthem for celebrating equality.) So it should seem totally obvious and appropriate that Gaga would return to the stage -- her first public appearance since her hip surgery last February -- to give a pro-gay rights speech and sing the national anthem at New York's Gay Pride Parade kick-off rally.

Watch Lady Gaga sing the national anthem after the jump.

Lady Gaga didn't disappoint with her performance... or her sunglasses... thingie.

Before Gaga DOMINATED the national anthem last Friday night, she gave a heartfelt speech thanking the Supreme Court and LGBT allies for overturning DOMA and Prop 8. Then, to wrap up her speech, Gagaloo pulled even MORE heartstrings with the THE MOST STUNNING/EMOTIONAL/GOOSEBUMP-GIVING (and definitely no lip-synching) a cappella performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" we've ever heard. And all while clutching a rainbow flag!

Of course it wouldn't be a real Gaga performance if she didn't (1) show up wearing a weird accessory (like, um, unique shades?!) and (2) put her own twist on the famous song. In honor of the momentous occasion, Gaga switched up the lyrics to: "Oh say does that star-spangled flag of pride yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home for the gay." We honestly can't think of a better rendition to celebrate equality for all!

+ Watch Lady Gaga sing the national anthem at Gay Pride Kick-Off Rally in New York.

Photo credit: Getty Images