In Madonna We trust

I didn’t realise it at the time, but at the supple age of 10, Madonna helped cement my gayness. Growing up, I was relatively quiet, shy, subdued. I was always very well-behaved. That was...until Vogue.

Something about Vogue really struck a chord me..I learned the lyrics immediately. I constantly had to Vogue, and couldn’t really stop. I lost control. It quickly became a problem , and on one occasion I even Vogued during a lesson – and my teacher demanded I stopped dancing.

I responded, “ I’m not dancing! I’m Vogue-ing. Strike a pose!”

Which of course, I did. The classroom went silent. I was officially a homo and a Madonna- addict, and I’ve been a devout follower ever since.

Today, Madonna is an incredible 48 - and tonight marks her final Confessions show in London.

She’s at the top of her game, she looks incredible…her dancing, her look, her attitude – I find it utterly spellbinding. She is the face of eternal youth. And if you are like me, you are thinking ‘How will she top this? What will she do next? Is there anything she can’t do? Will it measure up?’

Of course it will. She’s been producing music for more than two decades, only taking breaks to have babies. I’m a little bit embarrassed to say - but at this point, I love everything she does. She can do no wrong.

Honestly, she’s kind of God-like to me, and I enjoy worshiping her. I easily check Madonnalicious five times a day. Spank me.

I even daydream about what her life was like—living as a struggling artist in New York, losing her mother so young, becoming ridiculously famous in a small amount of time, knowing people literally worship her. And of course there are the Madonna dreams..at least one a week.

Is it mental sickness? Perhaps. But my admiration is not purely an infatuation.

Madonna is intelligent, she is political, a champion for the gays, a feminist, an innovator, and someone who stands up against the establishment.

In spite of the fact that she embodies the whole rags to riches ‘American Dream’ concept, she still steps out of herself and critiques it – the way no other American pop act – especially a woman – has dared to do.

And she’s done it from the beginning.

And just last week, after upsetting religious leaders with her now-famous rendition of Live to Tell, staging a mock-crucifixion, Madonna arrived in Rome (I was lucky enough to attend). She even sent out an invite to the Pope.

Born a Catholic, she’s always been one to relish in blasphemy – which I think a lot of us can appreciate.

The efforts to excommunicate her, the monitor her, to criticise her ‘disgusting’ disregard for Christian beliefs – only really serve to enhance her celebrity and essentially sell more concert tickets.

And besides the crucifix that people can’t seem to get enough of, she also performs Forbidden Love alongside dancers with the Star of David and the crescent moon painted on their bodies.…and the performance of Isaac features a burka-clad female dancer…trapped in a cage who subsequently removes her burka – which I would say was my personal emotional highlight.

So they say Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders are all up in arms about Madonna?

As far as I’m concerned, that’s when you know you are doing something right.

For all the groveling Condoleezza Rices and Margaret Becketts in the world, aren’t you glad we have Madonna?