Cyndi Lauper brings Susan Collins on-stage: ‘She’s my hero … and she’s a Republican’

During her concert at Bangor’s Waterfront Pavilion Friday night, 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper brought U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on stage.

“This woman is a hero,” Lauper told a cheering crowd. “And she’s my hero. And she’s a Republican. She helped us so much with the LGBT homeless youth and all the homeless kids.”

When invited to share a few words of her own, Collins just told the singer: “We’re just glad you’re here Cyndi!”

The 45-second video of the on-stage encounter was shared by Collins and by WGME, CBS 13, on social media.

Lauper, who is best known for hit singles like 1983’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” and 1984’s “Time After Time,” is a progressive activist who is outspoken on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues and performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention — making her praise of Collins, a Republican, noteworthy, as the singer pointed out.

In 2015, Lauper testified before the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations subcommittee, which was chaired by Susan Collins, in favor of legislation funding programs for homeless teens.

Collins said during that hearing that in many cases LGBT children are kicked out of their homes once they tell their parents of their sexual orientation.

“I want to make sure, they too, have access to these [homeless] services,” Collins said.