Description
This collection documents the history and influence of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and its impact on the lives of
members, audiences and LGBT people around the nation and world.
Background
The Stonewall riots, which erupted in New York City on June 28, 1969, sparked a rebirth of gay culture around the United States
and the world. One of the most influential and enduring institutions to emerge in the post-Stonewall decade was the San Francisco
Gay Men’s Chorus. The world’s first openly gay men’s chorus sang in public for the first time from the steps of San Francisco
City Hall in November of 1978, at a candlelight vigil for Harvey Milk on the day he was murdered.
The Chorus was founded by Jon Reed Sims, and the group’s mission is to spread social equality for LGBT people. The Chorus
has exercised its influence in many ways, including a 1981 national tour that helped spark the creation of similar groups
in the U.S. and overseas. They continue to tour the country, inspire thousands and are credited with igniting the worldwide
gay and lesbian choral movement. The Chorus has also commissioned many widely performed works that address issues of concern
to the LGBT community, including homophobia, AIDS, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and marriage equality.
For more information on the history of the Chorus, see: http://www.sfgmc.org/about/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Gay_Men%27s_Chorus
Extent
24 cartons, 8 oversize boxes and 2 oversize folders (approximately 38 linear feet)
Restrictions
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Managing
Archivist at the GLBT Historical Society. Permission to publish is given on behalf of the Historical Society as the owner
of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be
obtained from the copyright owner. Copyright to materials in this donation are retained by their respective creators.
Availability
Collection is open for research. Funding for processing this collection was provided by the Council on Library and Information
Resources (CLIR).