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Sigur Ros Protests Margaret Court And Homophobia With New Shirt

Icelandic band supports marriage equality push ahead of Australian tour.
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Icelandic band Sigur Ros has waded into the debate around marriage equality in Australia, launching a new t-shirt to benefit the movement as well as call out recent homophobic comments by Margaret Court.

Sigur Ros is set to tour Australia in coming weeks as well as appear at the Splendour In The Grass festival. As part of the tour, they will play Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena on July 27, a venue named for the former tennis star who drew widespread controversy with her recent views on marriage equality and the LGBTQ movement in Australia.

"You can think 'I'm a boy' and it'll affect your emotions and feelings and everything else, so that's all the devil. That's what Hitler did and that's what communism did -- got in the mind of the children -- and that's the whole plot in our nation and in the nations of the world to get in the mind of the children," she said in May, claiming tennis was "full of lesbians".

"It affects our nation in all this. It's not so much about that, it's about marriage. I have nothing against gay people but a child needs a mother and a father and the first two chapters of the Bible are all about family," she said.

"We're built on a biblical constitution, we're a Christian country and it's undermining our values and our morals and it's really a minority group of people and I think it's sad in what's trying to happen within our nation and so I'm just standing up."

Sigur Ros, whose frontman Jónsi Birgisson is openly gay, had some choice words to share when they found out they would be playing Margaret Court Arena on their upcoming tour.

"Our fans and friends have made us aware of recent comments by Margaret Court regarding her opposition to Qantas' support of same sex marriage in Australia, and her wider views on race and sexuality," the band said in a statement.

"We know Margaret Court's opinions are not shared by the majority of Australians. We want to add our voice to the call for marriage equality in Australia -- right here on Margaret Court Arena itself. Australia should be a country that celebrates positivity and inclusion, as well as achievement on the sporting field.

"We've decided to commission a special t-shirt for this Melbourne show... proceeds from which will go towards support of Australian Marriage Equality."

The shirt features a rainbow, two naked men, two women, the Icelandic and Australian flags, and a banner reading 'Sameinuð stöndum vér', which translates to, "We are united".

"Let's make July 27th Margaret Court Arena's most inclusive night ever and call for every Australian to have the same dignity and respect right here on centre court," the band said.

Australian band Grinspoon also took aim at Court's comments, during a recent concert at the arena. T-shirts for the gig covered up the words 'Margaret Court Arena' with 'Marriage Equality Arena'.

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