More than 30 gay and straight couples made Grammy Awards history by marrying live on-air during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s performance of “Same Love” at the ceremony.
As the couples exchanged rings, Madonna came out on stage singing “Open Your Heart.”
Ryan Lewis previewed the performance for The New York Times:
Mr. Lewis, the group’s producer, said that the weddings “will be in our minds the ultimate statement of equality, that all the couples are entitled to the same exact thing.” The segment follows what the Grammy organizers said was the show’s long history of addressing timely social issues through music, like Elton John’s duet in 2001 with Eminem, who was then widely criticized as homophobic.“We’re serious about this,” said Ken Ehrlich, the longtime producer of the Grammys.
Queen Latifah officiated the nuptials and told Access Hollywood backstage:
#Grammys Backstage: #QueenLatifah – gay marriage is “where the future is going, we need to be there.” 2 of her friends got married tonight.
— Access Hollywood (@accesshollywood) January 27, 2014
Radio talk show host Ben Ferguson wasn’t as thrilled about the ceremony:
RECAP: tonight was a huge night for gay marriage! it was also a huge night of intolerance towards Christians and the bible at the #GRAMMYs
— Ben Ferguson Show (@benfergusonshow) January 27, 2014