Singing with Pride!
Hello everyone! It is that time of year again for the New York City Gay Mens Chorus Membership Fundraising Drive! Last year I shared with you a bit of my story as a queer singer. Let me tell you, this past year as a new member has been a transformative experience both as a performer and as a gay person. The community I have found in this chorus is absolutely incredible and I want to do everything I can to give back to the organization that has brought me some of the greatest joy I've ever had.
Starting out in any new setting or group of people is hard for anyone. The chorus was my new beginning. Still on my job search and coming in with crippling social anxiety, I was accepted into the group with open arms. I was so excited to come to rehearsal every week to continue to meet new people (there are a couple hundred people to get to know) and perform a perfectly curated concert. Every song we sing is selected with some intention in mind that we as queer people can relate to. We sing about pride, protest, culture, relationships, sex, love, self-acceptance and plenty of other elements that represent the LGBTQIA+ community. While performing is our common goal, we have plenty of social events such as after rehearsal drinks at local gay bars, drag shows, and other queer outings. Aside from personal friend groups, I had never been in queer spaces before. Getting to be unabashedly myself among other people escaping heteronormativity is so incredibly important.
We performed three amazing concerts last year. First being our holiday concert Twinkley Lights celebrating holiday traditions and people who light up the darkness in our lives. Our second concert was titled Gay Cruise. This concert was centered on what it's like navigating relationships in the gay community and sex. I never thought in my performing career I would have been dressed in a sailor outfit singing Beyonce's Cuff It. It was the most fun concert I had ever been in. During this time we also held our yearly retreat in Asbury Park where we rehearsed the entire weekend while celebrating in copious amounts of chorus traditions. Our third concert led into Pride Month titled Chasing Rainbows. This concert celebrated self-acceptance at its forefront as we performed for a group of middle school and high school students in the Bronx. The entirety of Pride Month was filled with performing opportunities. I had the chance to perform in Times Square for Playbill Pride. Later that same weekend we marched in the NYC Pride March which was my first time attending the event. I had the amazing privilege of recording and mixing a track we would dance to along the parade route. I was so incredibly proud to have provided my skillset to an organization that had provided me with so much happiness and to the LGBTQIA+ community present that day.
So, is braving NJ Transit and subways every week to perform with the most fabulous group of singers worth it? YES IT IS! The NYCGMC is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generous donations from our members and respective communties to keep our operations up and running. My goal is to raise $400 to be able to give back to the community who has been an incredible chosen family to me. This year our cumulative goal is to reach $125,000 which in addition is to help members of our chorus to attend the GALA Festival. An event held every four years where LGBTQIA+ choruses across the country and the world come together to perform for each other and attend music related workshops. Below I have included our history, mission, and specifics as to what your donations contribute towards. Thank you so much for your consideration to donate!
NYCGMC 2023 Membership Fundraising Drive
Welcome to the NYCGMC 2023 Membership Fundraising Drive!
The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus is an internationally renowned performing arts institution in New York City and a pioneering voice for the LGBTQIA+ community. Through the power of song, the NYCGMC challenges people’s perceptions of the LGBTQIA+ community, combats fear and hatred, encourages compassion and human connection, and thrills audiences with inspiring performances. The NYCGMC champions social justice and embraces the values of diversity, inclusion, equity, and intersectionality.
Originally founded in 1979 and assuming its present form in 1980, the NYCGMC provided a safe and supportive community when LGBTQIA+ people faced daunting challenges, extreme discrimination, and devastating loss. The Chorus now confronts the unprecedented challenges of recent years in its inimitable fashion by reflecting on our extraordinary past and forging an innovative and exciting path towards the future, inviting New York City and the entire world to join in the celebration.
Comprising nearly 300 talented singers of various ages, backgrounds, and experiences, across a spectrum of gender identity and sexual orientation, NYCGMC is actively engaged in how we can be stronger together. NYCGMC’s 2023-2024 season will present concerts throughout the year inclusive of the Youth Pride Chorus's 20th Anniversary Celebration on December 9, 2023. For more information, please visit www.nycgmc.org/performances.
In addition to our mainstage shows, NYCGMC annually presents over forty outreach activities across all five boroughs and beyond. Previous years’ outreach performances have included appearances at LGBTQIA+ teen homeless shelters, at SAGE (Services and Advocacy for older LGBTQ+ people), and at corporate and public pride celebrations. NYCGMC has performed at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and Yankee Stadium; at gala fundraisers for the Swish Ally Fund and the Ackerman Institute; and at the Brooklyn Museum and the Global Citizen concert in Central Park, among many others. Television appearances including Good Morning America, the Tonight Show, and Last Week Tonight have provided a national platform for the mission. In June 2022, NYCGMC performed in the 75th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. In June 2023, the NYCGMC performed a concert exclusively for NYC middle and high school students at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture in the Bronx. Through technical assistance and joint concerts, NYCGMC supports development of LGBTQIA+ choruses in the U.S. and internationally. NYCGMC’s school outreach program has served over 2,000 NYC public middle and high school students.
As a non-profit organization, NYCGMC relies on the generosity of donors to support this important work and to keep our song alive. Your support allows NYCGMC to amplify our mission and our voices at this important moment. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
