Gay Rights Archives - chimesfreedom

What a Beautiful Day!

Song Gay Marriage
Hearing Jim Obergefell on CNN today talking about the Supreme Court decision holding the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage could melt the hardest of hearts. The case had started out with Obergefell seeking to have his name on the death certificate of his partner of twenty years. His fight came out of his love, which made the victory all the more sweet.

So, tonight even though up until President Obama we have never had a president say that they supported gay marriage, we have a White House lit up in rainbow colors. And it is hard not only to think of those who can now get married, but also to think of those through the years who did not live long enough to see this day. And one hopes that this decision will aid the ongoing progress, helping teenagers who have historically felt ostracized.

I cannot think of a better song for the day than “What a Beautiful Day,” by Australian singer-songwriter Brett Every and featuring Belinda Crawford. The song and video recounts a beautiful day of two people proclaiming their love while supported by friends and family.

“What a Beautiful Day” is from Brett Every’s album Tales of Ten Men (2012). The song won the Outmusic Awards 2012 Love Song Of The Year.

Somebody to Love

Shelby Lynne Sings “Down Here” For Kids Facing Discrimination

(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

Shelby Lynne Sings “Down Here” For Kids Facing Discrimination

Down Here Lynne I have long been a fan of the work of singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne (as well as that of her sister Allison Moorer). So, today’s song of the day is Lynne’s “Down Here” from Lynne’s latest album, I Can’t Imagine (2015). In the bluesy song, Lynne channels her childhood growing up in Alabama where she felt a bit different.

In “Down Here,” the singer recounts how in her “dark Dixie closet” it is difficult to live with a secret that others might not accept. The song implicitly tackles subjects like discrimination and homophobia. Lynne explained to Rolling Stone that the goal of the song is to reach out to kids who may be facing such discrimination, telling them that they are not alone.

In the video below, Lynne performs “Down Here” from I Can’t Imagine live on KCRW. Check it out.

What do you think of “Down Here”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Dylan’s Late-Career Classics: Not Dark Yet

What a Beautiful Day!

Steve Earle “Ain’t Nobody’s Daddy Now”

Allison Moorer: “Like It Used to Be”

Willie Nelson and Engelbert Humperdinck: “Make You Feel My Love”

(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

Somebody to Love

Writer Christopher Hitchens tells a great story about the playwright and activist Lillian Hellman. Late in her life, she was speaking at a college and someone asked her why, considering all of her activist work, she had not been a vocal advocate for gay rights. As the elderly Hellman leaned on her cane and looked through her thick glasses, she explained, “The forms of f**king do not require my endorsement.”

Tonight, though, the New York Senate considered whether to endorse gay marriage, moments ago passing a bill that allows it. The New York Assembly had already passed the bill, which will now go to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who announced he will sign the bill. So, it appears New York will become the sixth and largest state to legalize gay marriage. The law, of course, is landmark legislation considering the history of discrimination, including the Stonewall Rebellion that began in New York City forty-two years ago this coming Monday when police raided a gay nightclub.

I realize that people are divided on the issue, and many of us have views on gay marriage that have changed over time, just like Republican NY Sen. Mark Grisanti, who talked about his change on the NY Senate floor. But whatever you think about whether such things should require approval, you cannot deny that everyone needs somebody to love.

In the above video, Freddie Mercury and Queen perform “Somebody to Love” off of A Day at the Races (1976). Mercury was recently voted the second greatest singer of all time in an NME Magazine poll and voted the best in a radio poll.