American rapper, Macklemore, has pledged to donate the Australian proceeds from his track, Same Love, to the marriage equality campaign.
The artist revealed his plans on the eve of the rugby league final in Sydney, where he will perform the hit song.
“I was saying on the car ride over here, I haven’t figured it out yet, but I was saying in the car ride over that I want to donate my portion of the proceeds of Same Love that I get off of that record here in Australia, to voting yes,” he told Channel 9.
“I need to figure out what that looks like, and how to do that, but that is something I am going to do.”
Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS)EXCLUSIVE: @macklemore has pledged to donate the Australian earnings of his song ‘Same Love’ to the Yes campaign. #AusPol #9News pic.twitter.com/hrV3svXUOv
September 30, 2017
The track has become an anthem for LGBT rights. Its lyrics advocate for inclusion while criticising the damaging impact of homophobia and false stereotypes.
Macklemore’s pledge was welcomed by the equality campaign. Alex Greenwich, co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality, said the donations would come at a crucial time.
“We are grateful for this much needed support and thank Macklemore for enregising our campaign with his song and support,” Greenwich said.
“The positivity of Macklemore’s song and his donation comes at a critical time as we reach the halfway point of the postal survey campaign,” he said.
But its performance at the grand final has drawn the ire of conservatives, who have launched attacks described by some of their Liberal colleagues as “bizarre”.
The criticism has been led by former prime minister, Tony Abbott, and Liberal senator, Eric Abetz.
Ironically, the controversy helped the track move to the top of the iTunes chart in Australia this week.
GEMINI (@macklemore)Yesterday someone started a petition in Australia to ban me from playing Same Love at the #NRLGF. Today its #1 on iTunes. Love is winning ❤️
September 28, 2017
Abbott’s intervention drew a sharp rebuke from his colleague, attorney general George Brandis.
“It is one of his most popular songs and for Mr Abbott and anyone else to say that it should be banned, I think is a bizarre thing to say. I thought Mr Abbott believed in freedom of speech,” Brandis told the ABC.
Prior to arriving in Sydney on Saturday, Macklemore said he had been receiving “a lot of tweets from angry old white men” about his planned performance.
That, he said, made him want to “go harder” when performing the song.
He said on Saturday music had the power to start conversations and bring people together.
“I think that is what music has the power to do, is not divide people, but create an environment where people can start a debate, can have a conversation,” he said.
