From AIDS activism to marriage equaly and gay pri: Dennis Coleman reflects on 35 years wh the Seattle Men’s Chos, and the need to hand learship to a new generatn.
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SEATTLE MEN'S CHOS SPARKS {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY LYLE MASAKIJUNE 22, 2007/4:09 PMBY LYLE MASAKIJUNE 22, 2007 / 4:09 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"SEATTLE MEN'S CHOS SPARKS NTROVERSEY","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-06-22T20:09:45.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-06-22T20:09:45.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LYLE MASAKI","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE SEATTLE MEN'S CHOS, WHICH CLAIMS TO BE THE LARGT GAY MEN'S CHOS THE WORLD, MEANT TO GET PEOPLE THKG WH THEIR PROGRAM "SRED FAHLS: GOD AND GAYS THE 21ST CENTURY" BUT THE TOPIC HAS TURNED OUT TO BE MORE NTROVERSIAL THAN EXPECTED. FLIERS FOR THE PERFORMANCE CLUD A PICTURE OF TWO ANTI-GAY PROTTERS RRYG SIGNS SAYG "GOD HAT FAGS" AND "YOU'RE GOG TO HELL." WHEN LOL MERCHANTS (WHO HAD PREVLY POSTED ADS FOR THE GROUP'S PAST PERFORMANC) SAW THE FLIERS, MANY REFED TO DISPLAY THEM, FDG THE WORDS "FAG" AND "HELL" OFFENSIVE. EVEN MEMBERS OF THE CHOS PSED AT THE IMAGE, WORRYG THAT DISPLAYG THE POSTERS WOULD VLATE PANY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE MIXED REACTNS TO THE FLIERS PROBABLY MIRROR THE FEELG THE PERFORMANCE MEANS TO VOKE S DIENCE. AFTER ALL, PEOPLE UNFORTABLE WH THE SIGHT OF ANTI-GAY PROTTERS WOULD PROBABLY BE SIARLY UNFORTABLE HEARG A SONG TLED "GOD HAT FAGS." IN SOME WAYS, I FD THE NTROVERSY FORTG, NSIRG HOW WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT WE WONRED IF THERE WAS A DOUBLE-STANDARD THE REACTN TO AN ANTI-GAY SLUR, AS OPPOSED TO THE QUICK REACTNS TO RACIAL SLURS. MAYBE WE'RE NOT READY TO HAVE A NVERSATN ABOUT HOMOPHOBIA, BUT AT LEAST SUCH OPENLY ANTI-GAY VOIC E {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER THE BREAK, CHECK OUT A PROMOTNAL VIO FOR THE PERFORMANCE. IF YOU LIVE THE SEATTLE AREA, "SRED FAHLS" WILL BE PERFORMED TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT AT MCCAW HALL. YOU N FD OUT MORE RMATN AT THE CHOS' {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
* seattle gay mens chorus *
We reprent a diverse group of sgers: lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, genr nonnformg, non-bary and straight alli. ”Artistic director and nductor Pl Caldwell adds, “For those of who grew up not sure that we f , Disney songs and movi were safe plac for — I mean, how many ltle gay boys danced around sgg ‘Let It Go’ om ‘Frozen’ pretendg they were Elsa?
” “It’s so poignant bee so many of the gay muny grew up hidg and feelg like we uldn’t be who or what we were meant to be. Revisg that song wh a gay chos for a pri show the most sumptuo arrangement — wh the orchtra soarg, the chos roarg — ’s one of the most thrillg thgs I’ve ever nducted.
” Coogan ncurs: “We don’t say gay, we sg gay. When I joed Seattle Lbian and Gay Chos 1995, I met my first transgenr man, a former classilly traed soprano sgg the tenor sectn.