In early June, equal rights supporters and activists rejoiced when the Supreme Court decided to allow same-sex couples the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples. Although only several states in the US currently allow same-sex marriage, this is a huge step forward for gay and lesbian couples throughout the country. It just goes to show that love is love and every couple should be allowed the same rights.
This summer musicians are spreading the word and voicing their support for gay rights with songs like “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, featuring Mary Lambert. One up-and-coming artist who has a lot to say about the subject is aspiring musician, Steve Grand. Though he is only 23 years-old, Grand was determined to get his message out to the world. As a young boy, he struggled to communicate his feelings about his sexual orientation to those he loved. For the past few years, Grand has worked odd jobs from playing guitar to modeling so he can save and pursue his musical career. On July 2nd, he released his $7000 music video for his song “All-American Boy” on YouTube and it went viral, landing a spot on Good Morning America within a week.
As the music video shows, Grand’s song “All-American Boy” is about the rejection and unrequited feelings that come along with falling in love. Although Steve Grand does not identify himself as a country singer, the song and the video have a country-like vibe with friends hanging around a campfire and skinny dipping in a nearby lake. It is a nontraditional story of boy-likes-boy with a little twist. Ultimately, it is a song about love and desire that just about anyone can relate to.
Photo courtesy of Joem Bayawa via http://stevegrand.bandcamp.com/
