Madonna was "proud and honoured" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots at New York Pride on Sunday.
The Medellin hitmaker closed out the second day of Pride Island - bringing together the annual New York Pride celebrations and WorldPride, which also took place in the city this year.
The event also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the city's 1969 Stonewall riots, which served as the catalyst for the modern gay rights movement, and the 60-year-old candidly spoke about the significance of the event to her life.
“Fifty years, people. Fifty years of freedom fighting. Fifty years of putting up with discrimination, hatred and intemperance. Fifty years of blood, sweat and tears. Fifty years of not bowing down to fear," the Like A Prayer singer told the crowd. "We have been on this journey together, and I am so proud and honoured to share this historical evening with you.
"You really don’t know. Since I came to New York as a wee little girl, I have always been embraced by queer nation. I always felt like an outsider but you made me feel like an insider. You must know how much I love and appreciate everyone here tonight,” she added.
Madonna performed her hits Vogue and American Life, before closing the set with new single God Control and LGBTQ anthem I Rise, both from her latest record Madame X.
Meanwhile, the star recently came under fire from fans who slammed the promo clip for God Control - which strongly resembles the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida - as capitalising on the victims of mass shootings. Pulse survivor Patience Carter added she was "truly disturbed" by the video.
