The title of this post may come off as a little bit of clickbait seeing as Macklemore did not personally help me come out. However indirectly through his lyrics and his activism, he played a part in giving me the courage I needed to come out and be myself.

What drew me to Macklemore, is not that he is gay but that he is straight.

This probably sounds a little bit confusing but for me, he truly introduced me to what an “Ally” is. Up until that point I was not concerned about what women or other gay people would think of me I was particularly concerned about what my straight male friends and family members would think of me.

That’s why for me he really stood out especially as a rapper his message was amplified by all of the hate and negative connotations that homosexuality got, and still gets to this day in rap music.

His song “Same Love” was for me at first listen, a recipe for an ugly cry.

But for all the right reasons. He managed to capture in his short 7-minute video so many things that at that point in my life petrified me. Religion, Stereotypes, and the belief that homosexuality was something that could be “cured” and many more awful thoughts that run through the mind of a scared kid questioning their sexuality.

I grew up in a very supportive household, but this song helped the only person who it would turn out didn’t accept me for being gay. Me, it helped me accept myself.

It is amazing how profound the effect of a strangers voice and well put together music video can be for so many people.

I decided to share my admiration for Macklemore to help anyone out there who feels like they aren’t accepted to find a voice of hope. Whether they don’t feel accepted for their skin color, religion, sexuality or for any other reason; for this song serves not only as a gay anthem but as a call to action for human rights as a whole.

I’ve included a few other songs below that have empowered me over the years:

Born This Way

Giant in My Heart

Follow Your Arrow

If you have any songs that have significance to you I’d love to hear them! Please, comment or share them with me directly: Let’s Connect

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Thanks for reading,

Colin

Becoming Myself, Digitally