Marriage Equality Takes Home a Grammy

Last Sunday night was the 56th annual Grammy Awards and 2014 will surely be remembered as the year that things went gay.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, known, in part, for their Marriage Equality Act anthem "Same Love," performed their song as 33 couples - some gay, some straight - exchanged wedding vows. The moving display also included Queen Latifah moderating the vows and an appearance by Madonna, a star who came out for gay rights decades before it became the norm. Open Your Heart indeed!

In a similar key, Sara Bareilles performed her song "Brave," which lyrically is about encouraging a gay friend to come out - this, while appearing with the ultimate mother figure, Carole King, who sang along approvingly. In another segment, young country star Hunter Hayes crooned an achingly earnest anti-bullying song, "Invisible," whose lyrics could have been snatched right from gay columnist Dan Savage's "It Gets Better” campaign. While the onstage wedding will go down as the most memorable, it should be noted all the appreciation and support that marriage equality received throughout the three plus hour broadcast.

No statement can be made without reaction from both sides of the fence accordingly. Many celebrated, including celebrities:

• My face hurts from smiling. That was one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to see. Much much love. Well done, Grammys – Neil Patrick Harris
• That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on TV – The Rock
• WOW THAT was a Grammy moment for the ages. Congrats to the newlyweds!!!!! – Diane Warren

Of course, there were also some negative comments said (looking at you Kirk Cameron), but really who cares at this point.

I truly am so proud to see how far things have come just in the past year. Knowing that there is marriage equality in 17 states and growing. Knowing that starting in June, as a gay man, I can legally get married in Chicago. Knowing that all of the gay youth at home were able to tune in and feel accepted while watching the Grammy’s. Or even knowing that 28.5 million people tuned in and received the message that Same Love truly is the way of the future. Those that would argue otherwise truly seem to be in the ever decreasing minority.

Watch the entire performance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imya_Iyu248

- Michael Corrigan, Account Supervisor