I just heard this song on the radio, which is up for 6 (!) Video Music Awards. From Wikipedia, “‘Same Love’ is the fourth single released by Seattle-based rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis off their 2012 debut studio album, The Heist.” (1)

Wow.  Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, thank you.  You brought tears to my eyes and chills to my skin.

Macklemore and Justin Timberlake are tied for six nominations apiece.  If you’re curious, after you watch and listen, check out the nominations, here.

It’s easy to forget, when we’re reading romance, even M/M romance, that what we’re doing is a political act.  The freedom to write what we like regardless of where the story takes us is not a right to be taken lightly and was hard-won by our forebears.  It is a right that is currently denied millions of people on this planet in other places of the world, today, right now.  When we take up our keyboards to spread hate and vitriol, it’s easy to be ignorant of the true costs of freedom.  One of the lines in the song talks about how if he were gay, the singer would think Hip Hop hated him.  I know exactly what he means.  As a woman and a bisexual, I do feel bashed by a lot of those lyrics and I think it took balls to sing that song.  I’m gratified, too, that its gotten such a reception in the world.

Sing on, my friend.  Sing on.

(1) “Same Love,” Wikipedia, from URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Love Accessed 07/27/2013