Macklemore is at the center of a political firestorm in Australia after it was revealed the rapper will be performing his song “Same Love” during the halftime show of the National Rugby League (NRL) grand final.
Macklemore is bringing Australia’s marriage equality debate to rugby league’s biggest game
Here’s how one performance started a political firestorm.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The 2012 song has become the focus of attacks from conservative politicians in Australia who are calling for Macklemore to be removed from the show for trying to advance social issues during a sporting event, with former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott tweeting the following:
Meanwhile, conservative MP Bob Katter is livid that Macklemore will be performing, saying:
“If they take the most sacred day of the year, outside of Christmas, and use it to promote their sexual proclivities, that is an insult and an offence to every single follower of rugby league in this country,”
Sport is at the front and center of a political maelstrom, and it’s happening overseas too.
Why is there controversy?
Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Australia is in the middle of a countrywide vote on marriage equality that will end on Nov. 7. Back-and-forths in the conservative-controlled Australian parliament led to a mailed ballot, rather than a traditional referendum. This will serve as a survey of the nation, with the promise by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to take the result and turn it into a “conscious vote,” which would pave the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The mail-in nature of the vote has turned the process into a two-month campaign between proponents for the “Yes” vote, advocating for marriage equality and the “No” vote, to keep marriage defined as being between a man and a woman.
The NRL Grand Final will fall on Oct. 1, directly in the middle of this process — which is why Macklemore’s decision to play “Same Love” is coming under fire. To make matters more contentious, this year’s Grand Final is being played between the left-leaning city of Melbourne, and the rural, extremely-conservative North Queensland, meaning strong voices from both sides of the aisle have chosen the halftime performance as a battleground.
Is there a chance Macklemore could be pulled from the performance?
There are no signs of this happening. NRL CEO Todd Greenburg is remaining strong on both keeping Macklemore as the league’s performance, as well as advocating that he has the freedom to perform what he feels is appropriate.
“I don’t regret choosing Macklemore. I think it’s one of the bravest decisions we’ve made for pre-match entertainment, but people will be the judge of that after the show on Sunday.”
NRL as a whole has been promoting messages of inclusivity, with Greenburg noting that not everyone has to agree on the issues.
“We’re very comfortable with that, we’re an inclusive game and whilst everyone will stand for their own issues and make their own decisions, we’re very comfortable with where we sit. We’ve made our position pretty clear – I don’t expect everyone to agree on that.”
How is Macklemore’s performance being received?
That depends entirely on which side of the vote you fall on in Australia. Traditional marriage advocates are livid at the decision, and continue to attempt to get the NRL to change its mind on letting Macklemore perform. Their argument is very much akin to that we’re seeing in the U.S. over protests during the national anthem, which is that sports and politics shouldn’t mix.
“No” campaigners, The Coalition for Marriage released the following statement:
“Australian sports fans just want to watch the footy without being force-fed LGBTIQ messages at the game. Sport is something that unites all Australians, so it is pretty bizarre that the NRL would choose to use its half-time entertainment to push a message which it knows millions of Australians disagree with.”
Meanwhile, former rugby league great Ian Roberts, who became the first openly gay NRL player when he came out in 1995, is praising the league’s decision, saying it has the possibility to save lives.
“There are kids out there in the suburbs who are really struggling with this, and it’s a horrible thing to say but it needs to be said: there are kids killing themselves in the suburbs. [...] What the league’s doing this weekend with Macklemore, it’s a wonderful, wonderful experience for anyone who is not used to being included.”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
For Macklemore, who is at the center of the debate — he’s promising to “go harder” after politicians called for him to be removed from the halftime show.
”It’s interesting because I am playing Same Love, and they are going through, right now, trying to legalize same-sex marriage. I’m getting a lot of tweets from angry old white dudes in Australia. I think there is a petition today to ban me from playing. Imma go harder, Imma love.”
The NRL Grand Final will take place on Sunday, Oct. 1.
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