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Tag: Same Love

  • George Takei: Grand Marshal at Pride Parade

    George Takei was just one of many people taking part in the 40th annual Pride Parade in Seattle, Washington this past weekend. The activist, known best for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, served as the parade’s Celebrity Grand Marshal. The parade started along Seattle’s Fourth Avenue at just about 11:00 A.M.

    “Well 40 years ago, what seemed unimaginable, today is reality,” Takei said. “We look forward to the day – I think this decade – when we will indeed have the United States of America.”

    Rapper Macklemore also made a surprise appearance at the parade. One of his recent hits with Ryan Lewis is called Same Love. It talks about the hate of prejudice and how the love that two people–any two people–share shouldn’t be judged. He was met with loud cheers from the Pride Parade watchers.

    Two hundred groups took part in Seattle’s Pride Parade. The city’s first openly gay mayor–Ed Murray–served as community grand marshal.

    The first parade was held 40 years ago on a budget of just $500. Some of the original organizers of that event were in attendance on Saturday.

    Check out these shots of both George Takei and Macklemore in Seattle’s Pride Parade.

    In addition to being a huge gay rights activist and a Star Wars icon, George Takei is also known for making lots of silly puns which find their way all over the internet. He is an avid public speaker about his family’s experience in a Japanese-American war camp, too.

    So how do you pronounce George’s last name? That’s a really popular question. It’s ‘Ta-KAY.’ The 77-year-old has likely corrected other people’s pronunciation of his name throughout his entire life.

    Kudos to George Takei, Macklemore, Mayor Ed Murray and more for making Seattle’s 40th Pride Parade a huge success. The parade is likely part of the reason the city was recently named the ‘most friendly LGBT city’ in America.

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  • American Music Awards: Macklemore Speaks Out

    The American Music Awards are all about the music, the glamour and the excitement of the event itself–but especially about the awards handed out during the event to top talent. Rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis felt the AMAs worked as a forum for a far more serious topic, too. Macklemore spoke out about racial profiling.

    “Due to the fact that we are in Florida tonight accepting this award, I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids who are dying each year due to racial profiling and the violence that follows,” Macklemore said via satellite. “These are our friends, our neighbors, our peers, our fans, and it’s time that we look out for the youth and fight against racism and the laws that protect it.”

    Florida became a focal point in the Trayvon Martin case after Martin’s killer–George Zimmerman–was freed under the state’s ‘stand your ground’ law. Twitter fans were impressed with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis bringing up racial profiling.

    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis received more American Music Award nominees than any other artist this year. They got six nominations, including new artist of the year, artist of the year and single of the year for their hit song Thrift Shop. Their album, The Heist, has has been an unexpected, but huge, hit for the rappers. It includes the hit singles Thrift Shop, Can’t Hold Us and Same Love.

    In Same Love, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis speak out yet again–this time via music and for same sex equality. Their song features lyrics about how, as a young child, people are often taught to hate, accept stereotypes and unfairly judge other people.

    Do you think the American Music Awards are an appropriate forum for people like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to use for expressing opinions about social injustices? Surely his bringing up the Trayvon Martin case will stir some debate. Some people will no doubt applaud his words, while others will condemn them–possibly citing the venue as their biggest complaint.

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