Our Song is One of Affirmation, Not Alteration
At GALA Choruses, our vision is a world where all voices are free. For over forty years, our movement has served as a sanctuary for those whose voices were once stifled, ignored, or told they needed to be "fixed." As the recent Supreme Court decision in Chiles v. Salazar returns the conversation around "conversion therapy" to the forefront of our national dialogue, we find it necessary to speak plainly: Love needs no cure and identity is not a disorder.
GALA Choruses stands in firm opposition to any practice that seeks to change, "correct," or suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Whether labeled as "talk therapy" or "counseling," these practices contradict the fundamental truth we witness on stage every day: that a person’s well-being is tied to their ability to live and speak with authenticity. To say that these healthcare practices fall under the 1st Amendment protections on free speech willfully ignores the documented harm they cause and eliminates proactive protections against severe mental health consequences.
As a choral community, we understand that harmony cannot be forced; it must be found. Science and lived experience alike have shown that attempts to "convert" LGBTQIA+ individuals lead to profound psychological harm, isolation, and despair.
- We believe that every child deserves a childhood free from the pressure to deny their own identity.
- We believe that professional care should be a source of support and self-discovery, not a tool for ideological conformity.
- We believe that "conversion" is not only devastatingly harmful but is also a fundamental rejection of the beauty found in human diversity.
Where some would use words to diminish a young person’s sense of self, our choruses use song to restore it. To the youth in our community: you are valuable and whole exactly as you are. You do not need to be "realigned" or "changed" to be worthy of love, dignity, or a place in the choir or in this world.
Our member choruses across the Americas will continue to be the safe havens our world requires. We will continue to commission music that celebrates our journeys and to provide spaces where "coming out" is met with an embrace, not a "treatment plan."
We urge our members, allies, and community leaders to remain vigilant. Legal definitions may shift, but our moral compass does not. We must continue to advocate for the protection of LGBTQIA+ youth by contacting local school boards to support inclusive curricula and showing up at legislative hearings to testify against restrictive bills. Support the mental health professionals who provide truly affirming, evidence-based care by donating to sliding-scale therapy funds or sharing vetted resource lists with families in need.
The LGBTQIA+ choral movement was born out of a need to be heard in a world that tried to silence us. We will not be quiet now. We will keep singing, keep advocating, and keep building a world where every voice—no matter its range or timbre—is celebrated in its truest form. You can join this mission by inviting neighbors to our performances to foster community dialogue, purchasing tickets for youth who could not otherwise attend, or volunteering your professional skills—whether in law, marketing, or tech—to strengthen our collective reach.
We would like to take a moment to uplift the youth choruses in our GALA Choruses community: Bridging Voices, Diverse Harmony, GenOUT, Major Minors, and the Youth Pride Chorus. Please consider supporting one or more of these vital and life-saving organizations today.
In Solidarity and Song,
-GALA Choruses
