Demi Lovato's Date to the AMAs Is Danica Roem, Virginia’s First Transgender Legislator

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Demi Lovato arrived at the American Music Awards red carpet on Sunday evening with a very special guest: Danica Roem, aka the first openly transgender person to be elected and to serve in Virginia's state legislature.

Lovato, 25, saw a lot of similarities between her plight and Danica’s. “We connected because I heard her story—and when I heard [it] I was just completely inspired by it," the singer told E! on the AMAs red carpet. "My story with 'Sorry Not Sorry' is about bullying, and I wanted to have her in the audience with me tonight because I feel like we’ve been through some of the same things and now we get to share this experience together.”

Roem echoed Lovato’s sentiment. “I’m really grateful that Demi has spent her career advocating for people who need a voice when they feel voiceless and that she really understands that no matter what you look like, who you worship, or you love, you should be welcomed and celebrated because of who you are, not despite it,” she shared with E!

Like Danica, Demi has inspired many with the openness surrounding her hardships.

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“Some fans are saying that I’ve inspired them to either get over certain struggles in their lives they’ve been through—whether it’s bullying, a mental illness … Some people actually say that I’ve saved their life, which is unfathomable and I can’t comprehend it fully, but it means everything to me,” Lovato explained.

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis also commented on the dynamite pairing in a recent statement: “Demi Lovato and Danica Roem are two strong and inspirational women who embody the need for all Americans to stand together united and to take action today against any form of discrimination and oppression."

If this interview has any bearing on the tone of tonight’s show, we’re in for an incredible ceremony. Catch it live Sunday, from 8 p.m. ET on ABC.