Ten years ago the Mormon Church took a stand supporting California’s Prop 8, the initiative that effectively made same-sex marriage illegal. And then earlier this Summer, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir happily joined the stage with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
Umm, what’s going on here?
When the Mormon Choir first reached out the Gay Men’s Chorus thought it was a prank. Why would a church historically known for rejecting the LGBTQ community want to collaborate? Because times are changing and music is the perfect way to bridge communities.
“I believe music is universal … so this opportunity is a blessing,” chorus member Chris Pettallano – who grew up listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir – told Deseret News. “I’m not surprised that music can bring two different communities together.”
The energy in the theater was electric, and Dr. Timothy Seelig – the artistic director for the Gay Men’s Chorus – said that singing together erased all their other differences. He called the afternoon “a milestone for these two organizations that we did not think would be coming for maybe 10 or 20 years.”
This palpable, positive shift among these communities was particularly meaningful moment for Mormon parents of LGBTQ kids and for Gay Men’s Chorus members who’d been raised Mormon. For the first time they finally felt heard and understood.
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