Community is something you see and feel . . .

By Johnathan Morey

Community is something you see and feel, not something you hear about at the Pub. It’s the feeling of connection when you are welcomed by a group of people, and the smiles on faces from shared jokes. Brisbane Pride Choir provides such a warm sense of community for its members, and I’m very excited to see that joy moving deeper into Brisbane’s community. 

It’s not long now, you’ll be seeing us in the community at the Pride Fair Day or at the World Aids Day vigil. We do these things not because we have to according to gay law, but because we have a community driven soul. Since I’ve become a member of the Pride choir, it’s really shown me the strength in the queer community. 

I joined the Pride Choir in February last year, and as a 25 year old gay male, it was my first experience in a queer community group. I guess I’d heard about queer community groups, but I’d definitely never seen one, and had no idea why they existed. But within a month, it was clear, and I was glad to be in one. It wasn’t the fact that we all liked the same people, it was that we had a matching values, and shared experience. We all came from the minority. We understood what it meant to be mistreated, underrepresented and at risk, but looking for more in life and willing to explore our options for a fruitful life we deserve.

Our choir is full of very strong characters, and full of a long Pride filled history with our member’s stories and lessons learnt. It is astounding to hear from each other at our meetings, breaks and before choir gatherings of the real struggles we deal with every day. May it be the ability to get access to PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), sharing of family struggles, or bigots in our daily dealings. Together we are stronger, and together we provide strength. 

Earlier this year we celebrated at the Brisbane Melt Festival Launch held at Brisbane Powerhouse on IDAHOBIT Day; the celebration of 29 years since Homosexuality had been declassified as a mental disorder. To share moments like these through music, you see the passion in our own and our audience’s faces as we mix our life long loves of pride and song. This is why Brisbane Pride Choir has a key place in Brisbane’s community, and we aren’t going anywhere. 

At our latest creative meeting, we joyfully decided to see what we could do to get more involved with the Brisbane Community, working with other minority groups and those who would have such joy sharing time with our people. I’m excited to share we are looking into concerts and workshop experiences coming up with hospitals, disability services, aged care, indigenous groups and more. 

I’m proud to be a member of Brisbane Pride Choir because we always have a place for you, no matter your stripe on the rainbow, we are a going to walk down the parade with you. 

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Brisbane Pride Choir celebrating the re-opening of the renovated New Farm Library in July 2018. Photo courtesy of Sandy O'Sullivan.

See Brisbane Pride Choir at Brisbane Square Library on 13th September 2019. We are always looking for new choir members and supporters, so even if you don't sing, you can get involved! Contact us today!