Education

Teacher suspended for showing gay marriage rap video to middle school class

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Why do American middle school teachers insist on playing the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song “Same Love” for their students when the far-superior “Thrift Shop” is readily available?

The Daily Caller cannot answer this vexing question. What is certain, though, is that this week marks the first time this year that a school district has suspended a teacher for playing the song.

The unidentified teacher from rural Taylorsville, N.C. was suspended for showing the “Same Love” music video in class, reports the Charlotte Observer.

“At West Alexander Middle School, there was an inappropriate video shown in class, outside the bounds of the curriculum that called for disciplinary action last week,” said Jeff Peal, associate superintendent for the local school district.

“Same Love” is the fourth song released by Seattle rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis. The song promotes gay marriage and paints opponents of gay marriage as anti-gay bigots.

The Observer suggests that it is the first-ever song in favor of gay marriage to crack the Top 40. As of Sept. 7, “American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest” lists “Same Love” at #6.

The seven-minute video for “Same Love” depicts a number of events in the romantic life of a gay man and his same-sex partner. Around the end of the video, there is a flash of text in support of gay marriage — specifically, a Washington state political referendum on the issue.

The video has racked up over 78 million hits on YouTube since its debut in October 2012.

Last November, a middle school performing arts teacher in the far reaches of suburban Detroit was suspended without pay for playing the song during class. (RELATED: Teacher suspended for playing rap song about being gay in eighth-grade class)

The teacher, Susan Johnson, reportedly played “Same Love” at the request of one of her eighth-grade students.

Here’s a sampling of the song’s lyrics:

“Man, that’s gay” gets dropped on the daily

We become so numb to what we’re saying

A culture founded from oppression

Yet we don’t have acceptance for ’em

Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board

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Eric Owens