5 days ago
Rita Ora Praises Her 'Amazing' LGBTQ Fans as She Visits Fire Island for the First Time (Exclusive)
Rita Ora performed and mingled with fans at The Tryst Pool Club on New York's Fire Island on Saturday, July 12
The "Heat" singer spoke to PEOPLE at the event, sharing why she says her "amazing" LGBTQ fans are in a "league of their own"
Ora also explains why she loves touring and her big plans for the rest of the summerRita Ora showed love for her LGBTQ fans while making her first-ever visit to Fire Island.
Decked out in a black leather outfit, the "Heat" singer, 34, hopped into the DJ booth at The Tryst Pool Club in New York's Fire Island Pines on Saturday, July 12.
Ora basked in the energy as she danced with and poured shots for attendees, plus she cheered on a performance by local drag stars Pixie Aventura, Missleidy Rodriguez and Bubbles D'Boob.
Before the splashy pool party gig, when Ora disembarked her water taxi and took in Fire Island for the first time, the British star could be heard saying, "This is so fun. I'm gagged — gagged!"
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Ora said, "Everybody's warned me that once you get on [the island] it's gonna be hard to get off. I'm like, story of my life!"
Why does she adore her loyal LGBTQ fans so much "They're just in a league of their own," says Ora. "There is so much to learn from the years and history of the constant struggle of being authentically themselves. There's so much to it."
"Yes, they're amazing and they know just how to have a good time, but they celebrate individuality, creativity," she continues. "The conversations they have amongst each other is just full of love. But underneath it all there's always a sense of emotion and vulnerability, and that, for me, wins every time."
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She adds with a smile: "And the makeup slaps! It's like, nobody knows how to do makeup better than the queens, you know what I mean? It's just the way it is."
Earlier this year, Ora wrapped a tour with Kylie Minogue, and she's set to join Ricky Martin on stops in Australia soon. She says she loves being on the road and "seeing people that have really studied my lyrics and know my songs and sing it back to me."
"Even if it's just one person," she says, "it feels to me like I'm doing the right thing. Truly it's the only thing I know how to do. Touring live really reminds me of that community that I've been a part of and also gaining new fans — it's constantly evolving. I'm really proud to say I've been doing this for, like, 12-plus years and I'm not about to stop now."
Ora will be ready for a vacation, though. "My summer plan is to just have as much fun as I possibly can, because I work so much," she says. "I think my friends are like, 'You really need to enjoy yourself.' So when I'm on holiday I'm actually gonna just be on holiday: drink, not go on my phone, not care about tomorrow."
Read the original article on People
