Former Scissor Sisters songstress Ana Matronic teamed up with Amnesty International to take a stance against anti-lesbian violence in South Africa. In a new video dedicated to raising awareness about the unsolved rape and murder of Noxolo Nogwaza, a lesbian activist in South Africa, Matronic comes close to tears as she notes that the 24-year-old was brutally murdered for sharing the same beliefs Matronic espouses. 

"I believe we should accept each other for who we are," says Matronic, who grew up in Portland, Ore. with a gay father.

As a band comprised of three gay men and a "very over-the-top, silly, cartoonish drag queen stuck in a woman's body," Matronic said she never thought the band — which recently took a hiatus — would make it out of New York City. But to date, Scissor Sisters have enjoyed chart-topping albums and singles in the U.K., Grammy nominations at home, and earned three GLAAD awards for their visibility and transgressive lyrics. 

"The most rewarding thing of my journey is when people come up and say to me that, just by me being who I am, and by going out on stage and doing what I do, that I've helped them through a hard time," says Matronic in the video. "That I've helped them discover who they are, that I've inspired them to make music. And it is my dream of dreams to have everybody in the world be unafraid to be who they truly are and to be able to express themselves."

Watch the video below, and click here to read more about Nogwaza's murder and how you can help call for justice.