As you might expect, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) is marking its 40th birthday with a historic concert. But in addition to blessing us with the gift of music, the chorus... 

Composer-lyricist Andrew Lippa, who musicalized the life and cultural influence of gay rights activist Harvey Milk, will debut his latest work, Unbreakable, a musical chronology...

Following the international success of I Am Harvey Milk, which played an acclaimed 2014 Lincoln Center concert, composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa will debut a new world premiere titled Unbreakable at San Francisco's Nourse ...

Andrew Lippa's new musical chronology of the gay experience in America, Unbreakable, will have its world premiere at San Francisco's Nourse Theatre, June 22 & 23. 

On a sultry October day in Selma, Alabama, about 300 members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in identical purple shirts. The iconic bridge where civil rights leaders famously stood against racism has seen a lot in its day. But nothing quite like this.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus is going on tour this fall – prepare yourselves for a very gay October.

If you’ve ever watched the group, you know they will brighten up the grayest of days and the dullest of sports games. One of the many prides of San Francisco, SFGMC will continue spreading positivity this fall in a place that may need it most – the South.

A year ago, members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) believed they were going places—faraway places, like Cuba, maybe, or China. They were coming up on their 40th season, and the milestone deserved a landmark tour. Then came the presidential election—and with it, the fear that the gay rights high of the past few decades could collapse. SFGMC board chairman Steve Huffines was alarmed by that chilling notion. "I wasn't concerned with liberals versus conservatives," says Huffines (rhymes with lines), who sings bass in the group. "I was worried about the normalization of hatred."

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC) are raising their voices for empowerment, acceptance and harmony this coming week as they head to the Deep South on their first-ever Lavender Pen Tour. Through community outreach activities and nightly concerts, they hope to inspire solidarity and love in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The group of more than 200 will also be holding a rally for equality on the steps of Mississippi's State Capitol in Jackson, marching in song over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and holding outreach programs with youth along their five-state journey.

First, a history lesson: In 1977, a year before his death, Harvey Milk (the country’s first openly gay elected politician) sponsored a landmark LGBTQ civil rights bill. Mayor George Moscone signed that bill into law with a lavender pen that Milk gifted to him.

In honor of that purple pen, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus—its first public appearance was at Milk’s candlelit vigil—kicks off its 40th season this October with a two-week tour through Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and more of the country’s reddest states. Dubbed the Lavender Pen Tour, it will see the ensemble use uplifting music to instill hope in Southern LGBTQ communities as well as educate people who may be less accepting of gay culture.