Donald Trump Made Freddie Mercury Roll Over In His Grave Last Night

The irony would be delicious if it weren’t so offensive. On Monday, the Republican National Convention adopted a virulently anti-gay platform. If the Republican’s had their way, they would abolish same sex marriage, forbid gays’ adoption of children, and allow anyone and everyone to deny employment, housing, or services to gay people.

The Donald made a big entrance into the convention hall Monday night to We Are the Champions by Freddie Mercury and Queen. The irony? Mercury had relationships with both men and women; he died of AIDS in 1991.

Stir on Social Media

Queen tweeted that the use was “unauthorised and against our wishes.” California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (D), an advocate for equal treatment for the LGBTQ community, shared his outrage and the irony at length in a Facebook post.

Many people have pointed out reasons that Trump’s use of the song was an exercise in chutzpah, if not stealing. Here are some highlights:

  • Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, has actively looked for opportunities to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people;
  • The platform is “the most virulently hostile” to LGBTQ people that has ever been passed in the United States;
  • Mercury, whose birth name was Farrokh Bulsara, was born in Zanzibar (now Tanzania) in East Africa;
  • He was a Zoroastrian;
  • Brian May and Queen told Trump not to use the song after Trump used it for his June 8 primary speech.

Other Unauthorized Uses in Trump’s Campaign

Media Lite reported that the Turtles also were unhappy with Trump’s use of their song, Happy Together in Monday’s convention lineup.  And, of course, there is Melania Trump’s speech to the convention, which was strikingly similar to Michelle Obama’s speech to the Democratic convention in 2008. There are plenty of Melania “quotes”  and Twitter chatter out there, as Liberal America reported earlier today.

Michelle Oxman is a writer, blogger, wedding officiant, and recovering attorney. She lives just north of Chicago with her husband, son, and two cats. She is interested in human rights, election irregularities, access to health care, race relations, corporate power, and family life.Her personal blog appears at www.thechangeuwish2c.com. She knits for sanity maintenance.