NYCGMC 2024 Membership Fundraising Drive

Welcome!!!!!

Hello everyone! The New York City Gay Men's Chorus Membership Fundraising Drive is back in full swing. I am looking forward to do my part once again this year to give back to this incredible organization.

Why do I sing with NYCGMC?

Before I auditioned for the chorus, I felt my life had been lacking two important things: music and community. My first year out of college, I moved home to New Jersey where my closest friends and I scattered across the country to pursue our careers not knowing when we'd see each other again. Another huge unknown for me was the next time I would get to perform on a stage again. These fears of falling further and further behind ate away at me while my voice started to tire from lack of practice. That summer, I saw the chorus performing in the NYC Pride March on the news and thought to myself, "I think I found what I've been missing." In the summer of 2022, I auditioned and found out I was accepted a week later.

I never had been a part of a queer organization before this let alone be in a room filled with 250+ gay/queer people. My first year was an enlightening experience learning more about my community and making amazing new friends to explore the city with. Rehearsals have been my once a week escape to have fun by singing, doing some choralography, and collectively sobbing when a piece hits close to home.

This past year NYCGMC put on five fabulous concerts. We celebrated the holidays in Yuletide Gay, reminisced with nostalgia in Bubblegum Pop, as well as, celebrating our diverse community with our Trans Day of Visibility and Black and Queer concerts. Our concert season ended with our most important concert Our Joy is a Protest at the Whitney Museum. Our message being when queer people gather and experience joy it is an act of defiance against those who wish we couldn't.

By singing, I want people to see the love and passion the members of New York City Gay Men's Chorus have for being themselves and sharing their artistry with the world. As a nonprofit, the chorus operates on the donations we take in through initiatives like our annual fundraising drive. This includes commissioning pieces from queer composers, obtaining music rights, and renting spaces to rehearse and perform.

My goal this year is to once again raise $500 for the chorus. I would be elated to go over that amount and set even higher goals as we go along. I ask this recognizing there are many important causes to be contributing to at this time and thank you for your consideration. No amount is too small and all donations are greatly appreciated! From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much!

Welcome to the NYCGMC 2024 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 2024-2025 season will present concerts throughout the year all around New York City. For more information, please visit www.nycgmc.org/performances.

In addition to our mainstage shows, the 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. In July 2024, we joined over 7000 other queer singers in Minneapolis at the GALA Choruses Festival as a display of unity, strength, resilience, and solidarity for LGBTQIA+ people.

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. In these critical times when LGBTQIA+ people are under scrutiny and attack, your donations make an enormous difference. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

@NYCGMC