17c起草社区

鈥淚T actually blew my mind when I found out, which of course isn鈥檛 surprising as there鈥檚 not much else you can do when you鈥檙e diagnosed with cancer. It just stopped me… and I thought to myself 鈥榳oah, woah, hang on a minute. I don鈥檛 have time for cancer鈥�.鈥�

It would not come as a surprise to any fan of rock legend Melissa Etheridge that she has guts. Since breaking out onto the music scene in 1988 with her eponymous debut album, the Kansas native has become known for a 鈥渓ive and let die鈥� attitude that not even cancer could stop.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, one of the world鈥檚 most visible lesbian musicians found that along with chemotherapy, putting her non-stop career on hold was an incredibly trying time.

鈥淯nsurprisingly I have been a pretty busy person for most of my life with my career and all, doing my thing moving and shaking,鈥� Etheridge told the 17c起草社区.

鈥淚 had to take a whole new outlook on my life and not being able to do anything for three months during chemo, along with the treatment itself it was just terrible.

鈥淭he whole experience has stressed to me, however, the importance of nutrition and that it鈥檚 literally a matter of life or death.

鈥淚鈥檓 11 years cancer-free and I鈥檓 happier and healthier than I鈥檝e ever been. Having cancer just instantly showed me what I needed to do to take care of myself and how important diet is and how harmful stress is, along with my priorities in life. Happiness and joy are my primary goals now.鈥�

The singer, who has just returned home from a trip to New Zealand, is set to head back to Australia for a series of concerts along the east coast, including one night at Byron Bay鈥檚 Bluesfest.

Etheridge believes her Australian and Kiwi fans helped make her into the global success she has been 27 years after her first single Bring Me Some Water.

鈥淸Australia] is just amazing,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see how much you鈥檝e grown over the time that I鈥檝e been coming down and it鈥檚 also been fascinating to see your politics, experience your ecology… you鈥檙e such an important country.鈥�

A high-profile campaigner for marriage equality during its years of debate in the US, Etheridge said she was not 鈥渄isappointed鈥� with Australia鈥檚 inability to follow much of the western world down that path just yet.

鈥淚 feel you all are so close to it and can now look around the world and say, 鈥榦h come on, this is getting ridiculous鈥�,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t is not a question of religion and religious rights, it鈥檚 a question of discrimination.

鈥淭his whole issue is about making all Australians safe and feeling supported and it just takes a while. It has nothing to do with being behind other countries because every country is different.

鈥淵ou will get there, preferably sooner rather than later, but you will.鈥�

Etheridge鈥檚 efforts drew much attention during the time of Prop 8 in California, the bill that banned same-sex marriage in the state shortly after it was initially enacted and right up until the US Supreme Court struck it down in June 2015. Before the court鈥檚 historic decision, the singer challenged the idea of paying state taxes if she and her partner were going to be treated differently.

鈥淭he truth is that I said 鈥榤aybe; I shouldn鈥檛 pay my taxes. The Internal Revenue Service doesn鈥檛 care if I鈥檓 gay or straight and wouldn鈥檛 think twice about coming to get me,鈥� Etheridge joked.

鈥淭he point I was trying to make was that I am tax-paying citizen, that actually pays a lot in taxes, and it was just unfair is it that I, along with anyone giving the government money, don鈥檛 have access to full civil rights that my fellow Americans do.

鈥淚 was just devastated that Prop 8 passed in California and equally as happy when the Supreme Court made their decision last year.鈥�

In Australia, there have been instances of same-sex couples choosing not to register their relationship for official purposes, such as a de facto status, due to the inherent belief they would pay the same amount of tax as a married heterosexual couple. As someone who flirted with an act of civil disobedience over the issue of same-sex marriage, Etheridge gives it her seal of approval.

鈥淭hose are the things that make a difference. Those are the things that matter. Couples that stand strong in their relationship and show the community and those around them that you are contributing members of society are helping to make a difference, that鈥檚 what works,鈥� she said.

鈥淐ontinuing to be out of the closet and be visible, that鈥檚 the most important thing. Letting the country know that these laws are discriminatory and impacting on real people is key.

鈥淪upporting lobby groups and political parties is vital as well but organising, being visible in your communities, being out, those are the things that will make it work.鈥�

Etheridge, a mother of two from a previous relationship, also has the authority to face criticisms same-sex parents often are confronted with.

鈥淚 believe a child benefits from having two parents, period. Two loving, caring parents, I agree with at least that side of the debate,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hether one of them has to be male or female, I don鈥檛 agree. At all.

鈥淚 agree that our social systems and how we function in the world are so that children get so much from experiencing that world, and that includes all the relationships that they have around them.

鈥淭he gender roles that have always been so clearly outlined are no longer relevant and this is a great thing. There is a balance happening.

鈥淭he thought that a child needs a mother and a father to raise them is an outdated thought. I can tell you personally they just need love.鈥�

Melissa Etheridge tour dates

> Wed, March 23-24: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
> Sat, March 26: QPAC, Brisbane
> Sun, March 27: Byron Bay Bluesfest
> Wed, March 30: Palais Theatre, Melbourne
> Fri, April 1: Riverside Theatre, Perth
Tickets and details:

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**This article was first published in the , which is available now. 聽in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and select regional/coastal areas.

Read聽the March聽edition of the 17c起草社区 in digital format:

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