Rapper Macklemore, real name Ben
Haggerty, believes music has opened a discussion on gay rights.
Appearing on CNN, Macklemore discussed
the inspiration behind his gay anthem Same Love with host
Christiane Amanpour.
(Relate: Rapper
Macklemore releases video for gay marriage anthem Same
Love.)
“Same Love came about actually
from reading an article about a 13-year-old boy that had committed
suicide after being ridiculed in school,” Macklemore said. “And
his teachers didn't do anything. His classmates teased him. No one
really stuck up for him. And [he] eventually ended his own life at
13 years old.”
On gay-positive lyrics, Macklemore said
that “music has the power to change people. To change the way that
we think. To change the topics of conversation that we're constantly
having on a day-to-day basis.”
“And people like [out rapper] Frank
Ocean and Barack Obama, there's been a certain level of courage that
has come out in the last year that I haven't seen previously. And I
think that really what it's done is facilitated an open discussion.
And through those discussions, people have the power to change their
viewpoints and lessen the fear that has been passed on from
generation to generation around this issue.” (Watch
the entire segment at CNN.)