Australian cabinet minister wants anti-gay song played to ‘balance’ Macklemore’s Same Love
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A senior government official has called for an opposing song to be played alongside Macklemore’s Same Love at an Australian sports final this weekend.
As Australia votes on equal marriage, controversy has erupted over plans for rapper Macklemore’s setlist to perform at the country’s National Rugby League Grand Final.
Anti-gay politicians in the country have demanded Macklemore be banned from performing his gay anthem Same Love.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who sits in the cabinet, has said he wants a song to be played which lays out the case against same-sex marriage.
Macklemore’s appearance – and his song choice – at the National Rugby League Grand Final has stoked controversy, with former Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaking out against it.
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Abbott, who was booed during his appearance at the final in 2014, tweeted earlier this week: “Footy fans shouldn’t be subjected to a politicised grand final. Sport is sport!”
Liberal senator Eric Abetz and far-right leader Pauline Hanson – who accused equal marriage activists of wanting to remove the words ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ from English – have also condemned the performance.
Yesterday, right-wing Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull leapt to Macklemore’s defence, saying: “What’s the problem?
“Honestly, I don’t think trying to censor the playlist at halftime entertainment is – it’s certainly not my role. I look forward to it.”
He added on Channel 9 that he was “sick of Tony Abbott chiming in,” adding that he was “for free speech and in this case for the artist’s right to sing his song.
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“I mean, in 1991 at the NRL grand final the Village People did YMCA,” he pointed out.
Macklemore also hit back at the haters, who he described as “angry, old white dudes,” adding that in response, “I’mma go harder.”
But now Dutton, who has been repeatedly suggested as a future leader of the ruling Liberal Party, has chimed in against the party and country’s current leader, Turnbull.
“I don’t think Australian parents taking kids to the footy want political messages down their throat,” he said.
“I think sporting events and workplaces are totally the wrong places for these political messages,” Dutton added.
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He concluded that he was “into free speech – presumably two songs should be played, one for gay marriage and one against gay marriage.”
There’s just one problem.
That doesn’t… seem to exist.
There’s no popular song we can think of which has been created as an anti-same-sex marriage anthem.
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Ur So Gay by Katy Perry certainly contained many offensive uses of the word ‘gay’, and other stars from Eminem to Brad Paisley have absolutely come out with homophobia in the past.
But no songs which are explicitly positioned against equal marriage.
And you know why?
Because that’s an awful position for anyone to take, and it would make for a terrible song.
