Australian radio stations censored Macklemore’s gay anthem Same Love
Two Australian radio stations abruptly cut a live feed of a Macklemore performance at a sports event when he began to sing gay anthem Same Love.
The anti-gay lobby in the country had been furious last week after it was announced that the rapper would be performing at the NRL grand final.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a hardline opponent of LGBT equality, led calls for the performance to be cancelled, claiming that Macklemore’s track ‘Same Love’ would be perceived as supporting same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile, senior cabinet minister Peter Dutton called for a song opposing same-sex marriage to be played as well for ‘balance’.
Despite the protests Macklemore’s performance went ahead as planned on Sunday night – but two radio stations carrying coverage of the final abruptly cut their feeds.
The two twin stations, Melbourne’s 3AW and Sydney’s 2GB, were both airing the event live but cut away from the performance of Same Love.
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In its place they played a parody of the song recorded by right-wing radio host Ray Hadley.
Cutting the feed, a 2GB host explained: “The next song will be Same Love so we will be going to our version put together by the Robertson Brothers with Ray and also one of his daughters.
“We are not hearing from Macklemore. Here we go with our Same Love version performed by Ray and his daughter.”
The parody version set ‘funny’ lyrics packed with rugby references to Macklemore’s track, removing all mention of equality.
The censorship decision has been controversial, with 3AW host Neil Mitchell laying the blame at the door of its twin station.
He said: “We were taking a Sydney feed of the rugby final, which you can debate whether we should do that, but anyway, we do that.
“It’s got a fair following in Melbourne, it is Melbourne playing, and the decision was made by the presenters there to censor the song and put some rubbish on instead.
“The decision was made by the presenters [of 2GB] to censor the song and put some rubbish on instead.
“I thought it was unprofessional and embarrassing. Really, really, really, I was appalled. I really shake my head at that.”
Same Love, first released in 2013, topped the Australian iTunes charts after the initial censorship furore.
The Coalition for Marriage, which has often claimed it supports “freedom of speech”, claimed it was “bizarre that the NRL would choose to use its half-time entertainment to push a message which it knows millions of Australians disagree with”.
Abbott, who was booed during his appearance at the final in 2014, wrote on Twitter: “Footy fans shouldn’t be subjected to a politicised grand final. Sport is sport!”
Last week, Mr Abbott’s own daughter Frances Abbott appeared in an advert for the Yes campaign.
“You can’t help who you fall in love with,” she said in the advert.
“Love just happens sometimes and it’s unexpected and that’s kind of what’s the awesome thing about it.”
Mr Abbott, who led the country until he wad deposed in an internal party coup in 2015, has called on Australians to vote against equality against the wishes of his own sister Christine Forster, who is waiting for the right to marry her same-sex partner.
Abbott stunned the country last month when he appeared to suggest it would be “best” for Ms Forster’s children to be raised by a straight couple.
Mr Abbott recently stirred controversy when he visited US-based extremist lobbying group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) – despite the group allegedly pressuring countries around the world to keep sodomy laws banning gay sex.
