Is Macklemore Gay?

Is Macklemore gay? No, Mackelmore is not gay, though the rapper, born Ben Haggerty, supports same-sex causes and gay rights, and that has made him a controversial figure in the hip-hop world.

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“Is Mackelmore gay?” became a topic of conversation in early 2013, after Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love,” heralded as a pro-gay-marriage anthem, became a Top 20 hit, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. While Mackelmore is not gay, he says “Same Love,” from the duo’s “The Heist” album, was inspired by his four gay uncles, and the rapper sees homophobia as a major problem in the hip-hop community.

The question, “Is Macklemore gay?” is one the Seattle rapper once asked himself, and on “Same Love,” he remembers worrying as a child whether the fact he kept his room clean meant he was a homosexual. The young Ben Haggerty was good at baseball, so that gave him some doubt, and in the song, he “goes on to chastise both himself and the rap industry for making generalizations,” according to Chicago Now writer Anne Kiplinger.

Not only is Mackelmore not gay, but the “Thrift Shop” MC is engaged to his longtime girlfriend. In March 2013, he told MTV he’s thinking about a destination wedding, possibly on an island, and speaking of weddings, he’s been asked to perform “Same Love” at many same-sex unions. While the answer to the question, “Is Mackelmore gay?” is clearly no, he’s more than willing to speak out about gay rights.

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“I think that looking at the hip-hop community, and holding myself accountable in the hip-hop community, was what I cared about,” Mackelmore said, according to the Huffington Post. “That’s my community; that’s who I see to be oppressing gay people…Homophobia is still rampant in the hip-hop community and it just gets the co-sign.”