New members' night and our new term
Our summer term may be over but we’re already thinking about the
autumn when we will be back on the 6th. We’re even thinking about
December ...
The Open Night
for new members will be at 7:30pm on the 27th of September
when you will be very
welcome to turn up and join us and this time we are going to offer
an extra warm welcome to basses, tenors and sopranos. It’s later in
the term than usual due to a performance that we will be giving in
September which you can read about just below this entry.
So, if you’d like to be part of Rainbow Chorus and join in time to
perform in our winter concert then what are you waiting for?
So, do have a
look here
to see what’s involved
and browse around here to see what we’ve done in the
past. We’re a very friendly lot so if all this sounds like
something you’d like to be part of then click here and get in
touch.
If you’d like to join us then please come along on the 27th but we
are happy to accept you for a few weeks after that, so don’t be shy
and give us a try ... see the Contact
Us page.
A Brighton concert in September!
We are very pleased to have been
invited to perform after the Transforming LGBT Lives Conference
here in Brighton on September the 15th at the Jurys Inn
Hotel adjacent to Brighton’s main train
station.
We are
performing at a social after the conference itself for which you
will be able to buy a separate ticket if you do not wish to attend
the conference - though check with the conference web site for
exact details. We expect to be on stage at approximately
6:30.
The following is taken from
their web
site (where
you can find much more information):
Transforming
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Lives: Activism and Research for
Gender and Sexual Liberation
Count Me In Too and the Brighton and Sussex Sexualities Network
will co-host the Transforming Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans
Lives conference.
The proposed aim of the conference is to focus on ways forward in
transforming LGBT lives. The conference will be for
activists, interested LGBT people, academics, policy
makers and services.
The Count Me In Too Research Team, the Brighton & Sussex
Sexualities Network committee and an action group of volunteers are
currently working on the shape and format of this
conference.
Pride all year round ...
Poland Europride 2010
128 members of the London Gay Men's Chorus sang in the Europride concert and awards on Friday 16th July at the iconic Palace of Culture and Science and we marched in the 10,000 strong parade on Saturday.
There was very obvious opposition to Gay Pride from Christians and Nazi style thugs who pelted the lead float I was on with eggs, bibles, balloon bombs with coloured liquid and other missiles, including stones one of which hit the top of my head and made a rather dramatic and bloody 4cm gash, mixed with broken eggs- I looked a right sight.
It was very scary, as I was not sure what was happening, what was hitting us and then to feel the crash on my head to reach up and see my hand covered in blood. I was mystified to be faced with so much hatred. Only two days before I had stood with incredulity at Auschwitz-Birkenau, wondering how this could all happen. If we allow hatred, fear and ignorance to fester, I now can see more clearly what happens.
The start of the march was delayed as the hundreds of Police took control of the situation and as we now know some 7 arrests were made for throwing eggs. Along the route there was verbal abuse, spitting, gesticulations, posters, placards and blessings with crucifixes and holy water. Later there was a further 45 minute delay in very hot sunshine as the parade route was changed and cut short to avoid other counter demonstration marches and a rally. The men and women who marched were so brave.
There were a number of long range cameras being used by protesters who target LGBT people in Poland publishing photos with names and contact details; in recent years there have been reprisals, including the murder of at least 1 'outed' gay man. The heavy Police presence to protect the march was clear and plain clothes officers were picking troublemakers off the streets. Although the Police did react to the initial violence, it was naïve to have corralled the known violent protesters within hurling distance of the parade and that they were allowed to be in possession of projectiles to throw. Although its insulting to be sprinkled with Holy Water, its less aggressive than stones, but where will they draw the line and who decides what is OK?
This was all normal to the locals, I was deeply shocked. Smaller groups of chorus members were surrounded and intimated and spat on by youths, but some aggressive verbal’s from German gay guys nearby sent the youths running.
My dear Polish friend, Maciek, who lives in the far east of Poland on the border with Belarus says “things are changing, but it’s a long journey, recent surveys show there is around 65% support gay rights, but mainly in the cities”. He talks about the need for openness and education although he is unable to be out in his home village where he makes a living running a tree plantation.
I am fine, my wound is healing, I was relieved to leave but know that the LGBT people of Poland will continue to live, love and fight for freedom and know they are not alone. I put my faith in humanity and what is right.
I was so glad I went and my motive for ‘freedom for all’ has been further reinforced.
The Rainbow Chorus was the first gay choir to perform at Brighton & Hove’s IDAHOBIT and has also sung with the Life & Death Orchestra to acknowledge International Holocaust Memorial Day. We have also accompanied Podium Paris on the first float in Paris Pride in 2007. As a choir we have sung gay cabaret songs from 1930s Berlin and our own arrangement of the uncompromising Homophobia by Chumbawamba as well as other songs of protest and defiance in our Choral Propaganda concert and at other times as well. We have also performed a concert of works by 20th Century Gay Composers.
We sing in the choir for many reasons - fun, sociability, glamour(!), friendship, travel, connection and community - but we are all aware that as LGBT people we can never take our rights for granted and that we sing proudly wherever we go to present a positive image of the gay community and to be out and proud about who we are as people and as members of our community.
We are lucky to have Finola singing with us in the Rainbow Chorus and she recently had this to say:
I'm quite sure I don't need to tell you how to suck eggs when it comes to homophobia but I hope you won't mind me sending you the [message above] I received from my brother, Martin, who many of you know sings with the London Gay Mens Chorus. I've obviously asked his permission and it seems timely to share it before our performance on Thursday. It's great that most of us will be singing at Charleston’s Gay Outing - a celebration of the Gay Liberation movement. We'll be singing both Homophobia and the Lavender Song (written originally in German), among others, to remind us all why we must never get complacent and in recognition that there's still a long way to go for LGBT communities in this country and worldwide.
All something to think about as we sashay down London Road, Brighton on the 7th of August.