Lady Gaga Sings National Anthem At Gay Pride Rally (VIDEO)

Lady Gaga celebrated the demise of the Defense of Marriage Act Friday by taking the stage at New York City's Gay Pride Parade Kick-Off Rally and emotionally expressed her appreciation of the LGBT community.

"When I was in high school and grade school and younger, I was considered to be an outcast and couldn't find my place," she told the crowd. "[But] there was a particular crowd who did accept me. There was a particular crowd who made room for me at their table, who held me up when I felt I couldn't, who loved me for exactly who I was. It was you. And to stand here equal to you tonight, it's been a dream of mine since my very first experiences with the LGBT community..."

She then launched into a slightly improvised rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner", changing one verse to "Oh say does that star-spangled flag of pride yet wave."

Watch her performance here.