San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

In the fall of 1978, Jon Reed Sims founded the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. His original mission was simple: to include more music in the local Gay Freedom Day Parade. But when over 100 singers came to the first rehearsal, it became clear that something much bigger was about to happen. Less than one month after that first rehearsal, Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, were assassinated in front of City Hall. On the evening of the assassination, over 100 members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus attended a candlelight vigil along with thousands of shocked and grieving San Franciscans. The chorus sang Mendelssohn's "Thou, Lord our Refuge" that night which marked our first ever public performance.