In 1984, a talented, young musician died. He was an early and tragic loss of the AIDS pandemic that was only in its infancy. One of his prized possessions was a beautiful ebony grand piano. Normally, especially in those days, things left behind were sold or donated. Thanks to his friends and supporters, not this piano.
The former HBO exec plans a theatrical release later this year for awards-season consideration.
Sheila Nevins' MTV Documentary Films has picked up Gay Chorus Deep South, the Tribeca Film Festival award-winning film about a gay choir on a red-state tour by director David Charles Rodrigues.
The feature doc recounts members of The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus touring several Southern states with restrictive anti-gay laws and delivering a message of love and acceptance to those fighting anti-LGBTQ bigotry.
The 42-year history of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus directly mirrors that of the Gay Movement and makes this very special homage to the queens that moved us forward even more poignant. Walking in the heels of powerful activists, the Chorus provides a musical review of significant events and brave queers who took the stands that provide us the freedoms we often take for granted today. From the mid-60's to the present, Queens lends us the links to the past that must always be remembered lest we lose our collective identity.
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, March 22, 2019
For their penultimate performance of their 41st season, the SFGMC salutes the music and culture of our friends across the pond in an evening both stately and dignified, but with the typical clowning and impishness we've come to expect. In the glorious setting of Davies Symphony Hall, a five-piece band accompanied the Chorus and they presented songs from all genres, ranging from classical, folk ballad, pop and rock.
On a sultry October day in Selma, Alabama, about 300 members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in identical purple shirts. The iconic bridge where civil rights leaders famously stood against racism has seen a lot in its day. But nothing quite like this.
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus is going on tour this fall – prepare yourselves for a very gay October.
If you’ve ever watched the group, you know they will brighten up the grayest of days and the dullest of sports games. One of the many prides of San Francisco, SFGMC will continue spreading positivity this fall in a place that may need it most – the South.
A year ago, members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) believed they were going places—faraway places, like Cuba, maybe, or China. They were coming up on their 40th season, and the milestone deserved a landmark tour. Then came the presidential election—and with it, the fear that the gay rights high of the past few decades could collapse. SFGMC board chairman Steve Huffines was alarmed by that chilling notion. "I wasn't concerned with liberals versus conservatives," says Huffines (rhymes with lines), who sings bass in the group. "I was worried about the normalization of hatred."
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC) are raising their voices for empowerment, acceptance and harmony this coming week as they head to the Deep South on their first-ever Lavender Pen Tour. Through community outreach activities and nightly concerts, they hope to inspire solidarity and love in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The group of more than 200 will also be holding a rally for equality on the steps of Mississippi's State Capitol in Jackson, marching in song over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and holding outreach programs with youth along their five-state journey.
First, a history lesson: In 1977, a year before his death, Harvey Milk (the country’s first openly gay elected politician) sponsored a landmark LGBTQ civil rights bill. Mayor George Moscone signed that bill into law with a lavender pen that Milk gifted to him.
In honor of that purple pen, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus—its first public appearance was at Milk’s candlelit vigil—kicks off its 40th season this October with a two-week tour through Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and more of the country’s reddest states. Dubbed the Lavender Pen Tour, it will see the ensemble use uplifting music to instill hope in Southern LGBTQ communities as well as educate people who may be less accepting of gay culture.
