Another change took place as the new decade began. When the chorus performed at Symphony Hall for its spring show in March 1990, a new interpreter was there to sign for the chorus. Texas native LeWana Clark joined us, bringing her incredible talents for American Sign Language interpretation to our concerts. Twenty-seven years later, she is still with us. She has quite the following amongst our audience members, many of whom pick seats where they can clearly see her on stage. This includes hearing people as well as Deaf and hearing-impaired audience members.
In the fall of 1990 the chorus had a booth at Artsmart. People came up to the booth and asked “Why do you have to use the g-word in your name? Why do you have flaunt it?” Being used to answering the question, BGMC members responded with “The reason you are uncomfortable about this is precisely the reason why we have to do it. Gay people participate in most concerts the public goes to, but they are invisible, and when they are invisible they are powerless, and when they are powerless they are oppressed. An organization like ours can help break this circle.”
The Pride concert in June 1991 saw a valuable addition to the artistic staff of the chorus. Talented performer John O’Neil joined the BGMC as director of the Bay Statesmen. His experience in cabaret performance turned the ensemble into a popular part of our concerts that audience members always looked forward to. John also arranged numbers for the full chorus as well. Sadly, that same month, We lost our founder when Josef Bevins lost his battle with AIDS. A decade on, the organization he founded continued, stronger than ever and continuing to change the world.
The 1991–1992 season saw the celebration of our tenth anniversary, and additional staff changes. We hired our first administrative employee. In the fall of 1991 Ann Vivian joined us as administrative director. While Robert continued to oversee the artistic side of the chorus, Ann assisted the board in tending to the business needs of the organization.
The chorus started to move its message outward from Massachusetts. In April 1992 more than 90 members of the chorus toured northern New England to spread our message. Starting in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, then to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and ending in Portland, Maine. Proceeds from the concerts were given to local organizations.
The tour got off to an interesting start with protestors in Vermont. The concert in St. Johnsbury was held at the North Congregational Church with nine other churches co-sponsoring the event: South Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury; Danville United Methodist Church; West Danville United Methodist Church; United Methodist Churches of Plainfield and Adamant; Glover/Barton Friends Preparatory Meeting; East Burke Congregational Church; St. Peter’s Episcopal church of Lyndonville; Third Congregational Church of East St. Johnsbury, and the Lower Waterford Congregational Church. A small, but very vocal, group of protestors picketed the performance. Carrying signs with captions like “Sodomy is a crime against God!” the protestors reviled the audience for allowing gays into a church. Members of the chorus took the protest in stride, and some even took pictures of themselves posing in front the protestors and their signs.
Despite the protests, the audience of 400 enjoyed a stellar performance by the chorus, treating them to not one, but two standing ovations. The church’s minister responded to the praise he and his congregation received for allowing the church to be used as a venue “expressed dismay that ‘what was once considered common decency is now referred to as heroism. We are not heroes.’“ That night more than $2,000 was raised to support the AIDS Community Awareness Project of St. Johnsbury.
The performance at Dartmouth College was criticized by conservative student publication, but otherwise went off without a problem. The concert at the First Parish, Unitarian at Portland also proceeded successfully.
In June the chorus celebrated its tenth anniversary with a different kind of concert. Pops at Plaza was held in the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel. The music included a variety of pieces from the Shaker Hymn Simple Gifts to Stephen Sondheim, from In This Moment (winner of the GALA Festival IV competition) to Holly Near’s seminal The Great Peace March.