"Same Love," Homosexual Stereotypes, and the Coming-Out Process

Macklemore’s song “Same Love” ties in so much of what has been discussed in class in terms of homosexuality (sexual development, portrayal in the media, and how they fit into the heterosexual script) all into a five-minute music video.  While I had heard the song many times, today was the first time that I actually watched the music video.  I was left with goose bumps at the end and I can now understand even further why this song has had such a huge impact. 

One big thing that he talks about is the whole notion of fitting the stereotypes of gay men versus straight men.  He says,

“When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay,

'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.

Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.

I remember doing the math like, ‘Yeah, I'm good at little league.’

A preconceived idea of what it all meant

For those that liked the same sex

Had the characteristics”

He addresses being gay versus being straight as this idea of fitting into an equation.  If you “act” like a straight man, enjoy the same things as straight men do, and are good at various things, you should naturally be straight because you fit the “definition.”  On the other hand, if you do X, Y, and Z, you are gay.  This narrow-minded approach is one that many people take, as it is what is presented in the media; as Holz Ivory, Gibson, and Ivory discuss in their article.  They explain, “Throughout history, television either has ignored homosexuality or has portrayed it in a highly stereotypical manner” (Holz Ivory, 2009).  The problem with this is that people see these highly stereotyped, short-sighted portrayals and associate them with all of the LGBT population, as this may sometimes be their only exposure.  The researchers delve into this idea, saying, “television portrayals may also provide an influence on societal perceptions” and “people often associate certain behaviors and attributes in their stereotypes about gay men, including perceptions that gay men have positive female sex-typed qualities, are similar to women, and violate standard male gender roles” (Holz Ivory, 2009).

Macklemore presents a very accepting, understanding, and open-minded view of what homosexuality is.  In Bond's article, he discusses how the media influences LGB individual’s sexual development, especially during the coming-out process.  The authors argue that the Internet “may now be serving as the primary information source for LGB adolescents” (Bond, 2009).  They also discuss how the internet may act as a sort of “catalyst” in pushing individuals from the pre-coming out phase to the coming-out phase.  This song and music video provide a great example of how the internet may play this role.  Macklemore really portrays the idea that homosexuality is not a choice and that these people “can’t change even if they wanted to.”  I would imagine that he has empowered many to come out, given the messages that he sends in his song.  He discusses gay marriage rights, hate speech, hip-hop’s insensitivity towards homosexuals, and oppression. 

With this song and music video, we may see more people willing to come out and be open about their homosexuality.  Even as a heterosexual myself, I felt empowered and moved by this song, so I can’t imagine how homosexuals feel.  He truly seems to touch on so many aspects of what it is like to be homosexual in today’s world and I would imagine that this song will continue to have the impact that it had when it was released.


1. Holz Ivory, A., Gibson, R., & Ivory, J. D. (2009). Gendered relationships on television: Portrayals of same-sex and heterosexual couples. Mass Communication & Society, 12(2), 170-192. doi: 10.1080/15205430802169607 

2. Bond, B. J., Hefner, V., & Drogos, K. L. (2009). Information-seeking practices during the sexual development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and effects of coming out in a mediated environment. Sexuality & Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 13(1), 32-50. doi: 10.1007/s12119-008-9041-y 

3. Haggerty, B., Lewis, R., & Lambert, M. (2012). Same love [Recorded by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis]. On Same love [Digital download]. Seattle, WA: Macklemore LLC.