By Dr. Tim Seelig–
On June 6, 1981, two things happened that caused seismic shifts in our world that continue to affect us and will for the rest of our lives. The San Francisco Chronicle published a full-page article about two important milestones in the gay community.
The headline and majority of the real estate was taken up by the news that the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus was departing on its momentous 9-city national tour: “Gay Men’s Chorus Goes On The Road.” The piece included: “The wagon train is leaving and the new pioneers are gay. For the musical group and thousands of San Franciscans, gay and straight, who have supported it, the tour is a triumphant peak in a speedy and occasional controversial rise to prominence.”
This came after an unfortunate fight and subsequent lawsuit with the San Francisco Catholic Diocese, when the chorus was suddenly disinvited to perform at St. Ignatius Church in spite of having a contract to do so. Fast forward four decades and the wounds with St. Ignatius were healed when the chorus performed its 40th Anniversary Concert there in 2018. Issues with the Diocese and the archbishop, in particular, are still alive and well like serving Communion to a devout Catholic U.S. president.
A smaller story on the right side of the Chronicle announced, for the first time in print, the story of a mysterious pneumonia: “A Pneumonia That Strikes Gay Males.” The article shared: “A mysterious outbreak of a sometimes-fatal pneumonia among gay men has occurred in San Francisco and several other major cities, it was revealed yesterday. Five cases have been reported at San Francisco hospitals.”
It was the smaller story; almost an aside. It would not be very long until that story filled pages and pages and ran like a deadly tornado through the streets of our world. Much has been written by people from every walk of life about the mysterious pneumonia, a soon to be mysterious cancer found in 41 homosexuals in New York City. I have written much about what would then become AIDS and the lingering stigma of those who survived this plague and are HIV positive.
Let’s back up three years earlier for just a moment. On October 30, 1978, 100 men gathered at Everett Middle School to form a chorus. They had no idea that their actions would fuel a worldwide movement. They just wanted to sing. But as the evening came to an end, they made a courageous decision. They stepped out of that room having selected a name for their brand-new chorus that proudly proclaimed its sexual orientation—the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. That decision set the path for countless moments of bravery in the years to come.
In its second year, the chorus took its first concert tour to Los Angeles. It was an overwhelming success with rave reviews and excitement beyond their imagination. Upon their return, the idea of something bigger than a one-city tour arose.
The committee began meeting in September to hatch a bodacious plan. At the October retreat it was unveiled that the chorus would be taking a 9-city national tour the following June. But, of course, it wasn’t just announced like that. They had a singer dress in a “costume” befitting each of the cities they would visit. Each was revealed to uproarious enthusiasm, for the city and the models.
The response to the plan was a resounding yes, let’s go! No one even thought, “Maybe we should do 3 or 4 cities to start!” It was the second huge, courageous step for the young chorus. Such an undertaking was a gargantuan effort. The momentum had been building for two years. They were loud and proud! In addition to rave reviews for their singing, there was a great deal going on inside the chorus—boosting morale, instilling vision, and making them truly believe they could conquer the world, or at least 9 cities.
The chorus was receiving rave reviews for its musical expertise and was wildly received for its stance in the LGBTQ movement. But there were also internal movements at play within the chorus. The founder, Jon Sims, and many of the leaders graduated from Erhard Seminars Training, or EST. This gave them the spiritual motivation to reach for the moon. In addition, Reverend Mother, one of the Sisters (Bill Graham), began teaching a large majority of the chorus Transcendental Meditation. All of these things made the daunting task of a two-week, 9-city tour seem absolutely doable!
The vision and mission were clear. Less than a year after planning began, on June 6, 1981, almost 150 singers boarded 3 planes—United, American, and Braniff—and headed for their first stop: Dallas, Texas. A few of the flights were non-stop, most routed through Chicago, making travel even more complicated.
The schedule was grueling. 6 am hotel wake-up calls almost every morning. Looking back, the logistics were mind-boggling. There was no internet and no cell phones! But at every single stop along the way, they were fulfilling their mission. Literally thousands of lives were being changed at their concerts. No one had ever seen anything like it. In cities where there were brand new gay choruses, they were inspired to see this courageous chorus. For cities that had no gay chorus, they soon would! Isn’t this how religions start?
They visited Dallas; Minneapolis; Lincoln, NE; Detroit; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Boston; Seattle; and then home again in San Francisco.
Upon the chorus’ return to San Francisco, the proverbial red carpet was literally rolled out. They were heralded as heroes coming home from a mighty conquest. Their final concert was a welcome home extravaganza at the standing-room-only Davies Symphony Hall. The evening was hosted by dignitaries and drag queens and the chorus was awarded the key to the city by then Mayor Dianne Feinstein.
A life-altering experience such as this is impossible to describe in just a few words. It was bigger than anyone knew going into it and still stands as a marvel today. It set the course for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and LGBTQ choruses across the world. Yes, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus was here to recruit … singers in your local city.
Of course, they went over budget, and were it not for the support of a few major donors who took out second mortgages on their houses, the chorus may not have survived.
It’s hard to imagine that it has been 40 years since those first three planes departed San Francisco with merry men who apparently sang everywhere they went. It is hard to overestimate the lasting impact that tour has had on LGBTQ choruses that now exist across the globe. An international gay choral movement began to form called GALA Choruses. This organization continues today—even during the pandemic offering resources and quadrennial concerts as well as leadership growth opportunities. During the pandemic, GALA Choruses met often to keep up with the science of safe singing, Zoom singing, parking lot singing, and masks for choral singers.
In addition, touring itself has been adopted by LGBTQ choruses as they have traveled around the world sharing their music and furthering our mission. So much of what we take for granted today stands as a testament to the organization, the tour, and the courageous men who literally stepped out in faith and made it a reality. We will continue to honor them, celebrate their accomplishments, and be grateful for how what they did continues to change our world.
Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
Published on May 20, 2021
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