LGBTQ news and entertainment
With an assist from Mary Lambert and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
The rap duo went on to win Best Video With A Social Message later in the evening.
I love that the song has become an anthem for marriage equality. Great writing. When you listen to the words, you get a whole lot of truth.
Forward.
Openly gay NBA player Jason Collins will be introducing Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at tonight’s MTV VMAs. The duo is set to perform their marriage equality anthem “Same Love”.
Macklemore told MTV News why they chose to perform “Same Love” over their other massive hits “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us”:
“‘Same Love’ has turned into a song that has been embraced by the mainstream and that was played by the radio,” Macklemore told MTV News on Saturday (August 24) after the duo’s rehearsal for the big show. “There is a lot more people that are familiar with it now than six months ago and the timing is perfect. It’s a powerful record and it needs to be heard in America right now. And equality is at the forefront of what’s going on in politics right now.”
Macklemore adds that “It’s a song that I wanted to write because I felt like it wasn’t being addressed within hip-hop music…And I think that the homophobia was still very rampant within hip-hop culture.”
He also said that the line “when I was in the third grade, I thought that I was gay” is the most vulnerable lyric he has ever written.
(source)
LGBT allies Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who last year gave us “Same Love,” release this video just in time for the first anniversary of the “You Can Play” project. The project is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis see fit to expand that definition of “play” to the music world too.
Says Macklemore in the video message: “You know someone who’s gay, they just haven’t told you yet,” says Macklemore in the clip, adding, “Don’t let being gay hold you back, and if you’re straight, do not hold others back…Anti-gay language has no place in sports, or music.”
Sometimes, we open our minds and find we like something new. We realize that something we THINK we don’t like, we just don’t know yet.
I’m not a big rap music guy. Just haven’t gotten it. But today I saw this and realized “wow – I like THIS rap music.”
Kind of the way some folks think they don’t like the idea of gay people and marriage equality, and then they get to know someone gay and realize “hey – these folk are a lot like me.”
My favorite line from this video – “press Play, not Pause.”
Check out the video. It’s really amazing.
From Macklemore &Ryan Lewis: “We support civil rights, and hope WA State voters will APPROVE REF 74 and legalize marriage equality. Visit http://www.music4marriage.org for more info.”
Same Love, as featured on the debut album from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist, will be available 10/09/2012. Check it out on Amazon.