Since the original 115 members first raised their voices in 1978, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has persevered in the face of intolerance while helping inspire an LGBTQ+ choral movement around the world.
In the fall of 1978, Jon Reed Sims founded the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus with a simple idea: bring more music to San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade.
More than 100 singers came to the first rehearsal. Less than one month later, Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated at City Hall.
That evening, members of the Chorus joined thousands of grieving San Franciscans at a candlelight vigil and sang Mendelssohn’s Thou, Lord our Refuge—SFGMC’s first public performance.
In June 1981, after receiving the key to the city from San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, SFGMC embarked on its first national tour with the Bay Area Women’s Brass Quartet.
The experience revealed the extraordinary potential of music to create visibility, connection, and social change.
SFGMC’s early visibility helped inspire the creation of LGBTQ+ choruses across the United States.
Today, hundreds of LGBTQ+ choruses and bands around the world continue using music to create belonging, increase visibility, and advocate for change.
Despite our name, SFGMC is not limited to gay men. We welcome people who can sing in the tenor and bass ranges, irrespective of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or race.
More than 2,000 singers have been part of the Chorus since 1978.
From the Chorus’s first public performance in 1978 to the community we continue building today, look back at the people, performances, and moments that have shaped SFGMC’s story.
SFGMC’s mission extends far beyond the concert hall through education, outreach, and programs that build connection across the Bay Area.
SFGMC performs throughout the community at LGBTQ+ senior residences, civic events, mayoral inaugurations, corporate gatherings, and other special occasions.
In 2013, the Chorus also served as a “wedding chorus” at San Francisco City Hall as couples celebrated the first weddings following the end of Proposition 8.
Reaching Youth Through Music brings SFGMC into Bay Area elementary, middle, and high schools with a message of love, inclusion, acceptance, and strength.
The program encourages young people to use their own voices, experiences, and creativity to strengthen their communities.
Singing openly and proudly has always been more than performance. It is a declaration of visibility, community, and belonging.
Through music, SFGMC continues to challenge intolerance and help create space for LGBTQ+ people to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
Nearly five decades after that first rehearsal, SFGMC continues to bring together hundreds of singers around a shared passion for music, community, inclusion, and the belief that raising our voices can change the world.
To lead by creating extraordinary music and experiences that build community, inspire activism, and foster compassion at home and around the world.
From our first public performance in 1978 to the stages and communities we serve today, SFGMC continues a tradition of musical excellence and mission-driven activism.
Join our mission and help us continue our journey — creating extraordinary music, building community, inspiring activism, and reaching people across the Bay Area and beyond.
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