NICOLE: Behind these sacred walls, everyone is welcome.
MARK MILLER: “We’ll take you in here.”
NICOLE: Especially if you love to sing.
SUZE CLEMONZ: “It was for me to sing with people I identify with.”
NICOLE: Each Monday night, the Syracuse Gay and Lesbian Chorus is ready to share their pride, through music.
JEAN SWANGER: “For a lot of people, joining this group was the first way they basically had to come out to the public.
NICOLE: This chorus is all inclusive, all the time. It’s a safe space for singers to be themselves.
DANIEL MCMASTER: “I mean, I was closeted for my whole life. I had nothing.”
NICOLE: Having a chorus like this one in Central New York is extremely rare. Out of all 270,000 choruses nationwide, only 200 are LGBTQ+. That’s less than 1%.
TEAGAN PEACOCK: “Having representation and a community within Central New York is just so important for our members, so important for our community to be able to see that we’re here.”
BRIAN ACKLES: “One, two, softly go.”
NICOLE: Brian Ackles is the conductor of this group. He’s seen how they’re not so worried about finding that perfect pitch – but more about building that perfect community.
BRIAN: “Wherever you want to sing. Wherever you fit in our choir. You fit and come join us.”
NICOLE: Jean – met her wife here.
JEAN: “We’ve been together 30 years. And we basically met here at Chorus.”
NICOLE: Mark? He’s found lifelong friends.
MARK: “All of my friends in Syracuse are from this group or related to it.”
NICOLE: And it’s given Daniel – a family.
DANIEL: “It’s what I didn’t have.”
NICOLE: This chorus is made up of so many different voices that all sing the same song. Accepting who you are can be beautiful. Reporting in Syracuse, Nicole Aponte. NCC News.
