Gay Men's Chorus Performs for the Holidays

Story and photo by Maestro Joyner.

What a performance! On Saturday December 9th, 2023 I attended the Gay Men of Washington DC Chorus. The holiday showcase was held at Lincoln Theater. This was my first choir concert and it was beautiful. The Gay Men’s Choir goal is to not only share the holiday cheer that comes from the LGBTQIA+ community, but also to represent other holidays like Kwanzaa, which was celebrated on stage to express to the audience what Kwanzaa means to them. 

There were also different set-ups for the performance, but one of my favorite acts was the show-off from Bear Brotherhood, who are a subculture of hairy gay men that self-identify as bears. They are usually men who are masculine and over the age of thirty, who have a full beard and large build. I enjoyed that specific performance because it was great to see a subculture show off their pride and come together for the holidays.

Another performance I enjoyed was the Kwanzaa section during the choir, where they explained to the audience how African Americans celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujamaa, Kuumba, Ujima, Nia, and Imani. I enjoyed this performance because it exposed me and other people to what Kwanzaa is and why it is important to those who celebrate it.

This is one of the many performances that the Gay Men’s Chorus put on throughout the year! They have exhibits, showcases, portraits, toy drives, sing to the sick every Christmas eve, have an equality tour, and a program for youth called “GenOUT,” where they recruit students ages 13 to 18 who love to sing and connect their voices to the community. 

The Gay Men of Washington DC Chorus is also a nonprofit organization with the goal of achieving justice for everyone that has been the victim of inequality. If you want to support more amazing performances and the battle against inequality, you can learn more, donate and support them here. 

Maestro Joyner is a junior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.