The recent announcement of a planned partnership with Target had some Lady Gaga fans complaining she'd been caught in a bad romance. But in an interview with Billboard magazine, Gaga reveals the deal also involved securing a small portion of the company's community funds for queer groups:

“That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I’ve ever had in a business meeting,” Lady Gaga said. “Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they’ve made in the past … our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those [antigay] groups.”

Target has been the focus of a gay boycott ever since the retailer donated $150,000 in corporate funds to Minnesota Forward, a political action group. The organization backed Tom Emmer, who supported a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in his failed run for governor of Minnesota.

Target has 1,743 stores across the United States and recently announced the purchase of the leases of 220 Zellers sites across Canada.

The Billboard report also says the retailer plans to create a new "policy committee" to review the company's donations to community efforts — which amount to $156 million a year.

In an interview with Target's public relations vice-president, Dustee Tucker Jenkins, Jenkins explains that the company's CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, will not be a part of the committee.

With the US military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy still on the books, it's hard to imagine Adam Lambert being invited to perform for US troops.

But gay Canadian Idol winner Theo Tams recently travelled to Afghanistan to perform for Canadian soldiers. 

From the Montreal Gazette:

Tams was quick to accept the invitation to perform for the troops, but, as an openly gay man, he was uncertain how he would be received.

"I was thinking 1,200 soldiers weren't necessarily my demographic," he said with a laugh. "But they welcomed me with open arms. It was an honour to sing the national anthem for them on Canada Day." (read more at the Montreal Gazette)

Tams performing in Kandahar (image via Facebook)

Here's a clip of Tams performing an acoustic version of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" in Kandahar:

Watch the video for Tams' newest single "Manhattan Blue," featuring So You Think You Can Dance Canada winner Tara-Jean Popowich and runner-up Vincent Desjardins:

Find out more about Theo Tams at theotams.com. 

Gay activist John Campey is using YouTube and music to protest the Harper government's decision to axe the mandatory long-form census. Watch "Count Me In":

Lady Gaga brought her Monster Ball tour back to Toronto last night, and she certainly lived up to her nickname "Lady Gay Gay."  

During the closing number "Bad Romance," Gaga grabbed a Canadian rainbow flag that was thrown onto the stage, and she held it high. Check it out (starting around the 4:15 mark):

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Mississauga-born Blake McGrath just released his first music video, "The Night." Check it out below:

In 2009, the So You Think You Can Dance judge and choreographer spoke to fab magazine about his debut album, his bisexuality and working with pop divas like Britney, Janet and Mariah. Speaking about his music ambitions, McGrath said he wants "to push buttons and get reactions out of people. I'm trying to go for a boy Lady Gaga vibe."