If you caught my musical away message on Friday, you know I was up in Baltimore this weekend. Charm City. Home of the playoff-bound Orioles and the recently victorious Ravens. (Hey, 9-6 may not be pretty, but a win’s a win). Mrs. YHT and I made the trip to see two of our good friends get married almost exactly 3 years after our own wedding day, which I’ll always remember as one of the best days of my life. In many ways, it feels like it happened just yesterday. I can vividly remember the food, the conversations, the quirks that made the ceremony one-of-a-kind, and maybe more than anything else, the way my usual social anxiety was replaced by a joyful, floating feeling, as if a spell had been cast on me.

As time goes on, and I’m given the opportunity to watch friends and family members have their own special days, it gets harder and harder to celebrate without feeling pangs of guilt, knowing that the state I live in is preventing some of my very best friends from getting married because the person they love is the same sex as them. I was born in Virginia, and am proud to have lived here all my life, but sometimes it can be a huge asshole. Everyone deserves the chance to have that joyful spell cast on them. Period. End of story. Well… unfortunately, it’s not the end of the story, because the misguided selfishness of so many people has turned marriage equality into a protracted battle/wedge issue/lobbying money pit. All the same, I believe with all my heart that it’s a battle that will be won, and I have the utmost respect for artists who stand up to do their part in pushing our country toward a more equal future.

I came across the video for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love” the day before we left for Baltimore, just after I posted about their hilarious (and brilliant) song “Thrift Shop.” Though it was my first time hearing Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, I had a hunch as I watched the “Thrift Shop” video that it wasn’t just some clever clip devised to get laughs and YouTube views. The lyrics are as smart as they are well-delivered, and “Same Love” provides clear proof that I was right. The song offers a powerful argument for same-sex marriage, with a moving video that asks Washington state voters to approve an upcoming referendum for marriage equality. Hats off to these Seattle-based musicians for fighting the good fight. I hope this song and its video bring us one step closer to ending blatant discrimination.

Check out the wonderful video above, the song below, preview the duo’s upcoming full-length, The Heist, over at NPR, click here to pre-order it in advance of tomorrow’s release, and if you happen to live in Washington, please do the right thing and approve Referendum 74.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis — “Same Love” (feat. Mary Lambert) [Spotify/iTunes]