Jon sims gay band

Pride Bands Alliance formed in when eight gay bands got together for the first time in Chicago. Our Statement of Values The San Francisco Pride Band is dedicated to creating a community where music, education, and visibility converge to promote understanding and inclusivity.

Through respectful engagement, we honor the richness that diversity brings to our music and our community. Several of these bands came into existence directly or indirectly from the efforts of our own founder, Jon Sims. The San Francisco Pride Band is dedicated to creating a community where music, education, and visibility converge to promote understanding and inclusivity.

The band was founded by Jon Reed Sims in as the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps. Born in Smith Center, Kansas, Sims was a musician and performer who formed the band in response to Anita Bryant’s anti-gay campaign in the late s. Sims was the visionary founder of SFLGFB, the first openly gay musical group ever to be formed in the world.

Sims’ cultural impact was evident at the Jon Sims Center for the Arts, which closed in November The center once located at 11th and Mission in the South of Market neighborhood was named in his honor and was dedicated to education and cultural arts among the city’s gay, lesbian, and transgender community.

Now, Pride Bands Alliance has nearly 30 member groups from coast to coast, plus groups in Canada, Australia, and Europe. Founded in by Jon Sims at the height of Anita Bryant’s anti-gay crusade, the Band has played a pivotal role in advancing LGBTQ+ visibility.

Every group shared Sims’ founding commitment to promote gay and lesbian culture. Our dedication to continuous learning and personal growth empowers our members to thrive and contribute positively to society. Music, as our common language, serves as a powerful tool for unity, bridging divides, inspiring change, and fostering a more inclusive society.

The San Francisco Pride Band provides for the education and musical development of its members, promotes visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and with its allies, fosters understanding among diverse communities through public performance.

The Band continues to perform at a variety of events in the Bay Area and internationally, advocating for equality through music. Through our Cable Car Award-winning Community Concert Series, we showcase the creative talents of our community and share the wonder of both classical and modern music.

Who We Are. Impact Through Performances Upon its founding in , the Band became the first openly-gay musical group in the world. Sims, born in Smith Center, Kansas, was a musician and performer who formed the band in response to Anita Bryant 's anti-gay campaign in the late s.

What a set-up, Holy Cow! If my friends could see me now. Our Mission The San Francisco Pride Band provides for the education and musical development of its members, promotes visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and with its allies, fosters understanding among diverse communities through public performance.

Sims’ lesbian and gay chorus group ultimately spawned a variety of musical offshoots, including a concert band, jazz band, swing choir, string orchestra, ragtime ensemble, even a trombone ensemble. The coverage includes a personal remembrance of Jon Reed Sims (–) by his sister Judy Sims Billings.

Beyond the formal mission statement, the spirit of San Francisco Pride Band is best captured in the revised lyrics to a popular Broadway song written by our founder Jon Sims:. Founding Member of Pride Bands Alliance. Notable moments include marching up Market Street with Harvey Milk in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.

More resources from Jon Sims. We celebrate a culture of respect and inclusivity, embracing the diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives within our band and beyond. Upon its founding in , the Band became the first openly-gay musical group in the world.

The band was founded by Jon Reed Sims in as the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corp. One man proposed a radical appropriation of mainstream culture – the formation of was then called a Gay and Lesbian Marching Band to march in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade.

We believe that humanity can only fully prosper without threat of violence and that everyone deserves to feel safe. As members of the San Francisco Pride Band, we uphold these values in every note we play, every performance we give, and every interaction we have, affirming our commitment to promoting acceptance and celebrating diversity.