R&B Singer Marsha Ambrosius Tackles Anti-Gay Violence and Suicide

You might not have heard the name Marsha Ambrosius before, but you have likely heard of Floetry, the British duo she was a part of earlier in the aughts. She's now a solo R&B singer and songwriter for other artists. And she's a gay activist, as she is proving with her new music video.

"I go to my shows and my audience is predominantly gay," Ambrosius says. "I've been approached by many who've said my music has influenced them and we'll speak about experiences that they've had. It's just only right that I give that voice back."

The song "Far Away" was written after a close friend of the singer attempted suicide. The video, she says, will speak for those that do not have a voice. In the clip, Ambrosius and a man walk in a park and say hi to various adults and children. Later, we see that same man kissing another man. When he revisits the park hand-in-hand with his partner, the woman pulls her children away from him. When he is alone at a different point in the video, he is violently assaulted in front of an American flag. At the end of the song, the man is lying on a couch with a suicide note and dozens of pills scattered around.

"I lost a friend and I've had friends that have attempted suicide," Ambrosius says. "There are people that don't have a voice to speak out and show what is happening and what can happen, so I just wanted people to see the honesty in it and be aware."

Urban music often glorifies homophobia and anti-gay speech. We see it in rap songs on a continual basis. I think it is amazing to see a message like this come from a strong R&B role model who has worked alongside Nas, The Game and Busta Rhymes. The video depicts what is a frightening reality for many in the LGBT community.

Check out the video below.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons