by June Kamerling

Oakland Gay Men's Chorus started in 1999. Peter Dempsey was one of the original singers 20 plus years ago. He jokes he was a lot younger then….skin tighter and middle girth narrower!!

When asked, Peter told me, “Dick Kramer, our original Artistic Director, had a booth at Oakland Pride in 1999. As I walked by he shouted ‘Hey, do you sing’?”. Peter signed the clipboard, auditioned and he was in.  There were about 16 or so singers back then, 4 voices on a part. “I was a 1st tenor. I had the ability to sing with the angels. That’s changed over 20 years”.

Peter describes how the chorus has changed his life and how the chorus itself has changed over the years.

Pre-chorus, in 1980 when Peter came out, met his husband, bought a house, lost the house in the Oakland fire of ’91, they were moved how supportive the city of Oakland was toward them, a gay couple, in the reconstruction of their home.

Peter and Phil were tired of having to go to bars and clubs to connect with others in the gay community. They wanted a more meaningful community.

So, when the call came to sing it was an opportunity for the gay community to come together, to be visible and stand their ground, especially at this time being close to the AIDS epidemic. The politics of the time was not conducive to inclusivity.

“In the first years we sang waving the flag. ‘We’re here’!!

We had people in chorus who were suffering with AIDS. They wanted to be seen as singers, not as victims of the plague. We lost members, including a singer from Australia whose parents asked us to sing Waltzing Matilda at his funeral.

Times were starting to change. As people got to know us we were no longer a stereotype.

Churches started making an effort to be inclusive. We were doing something that was of value to our community and we were more visible and respected for the quality of work we were doing”.

How do you see the chorus now?

“The chorus is a place where singers come to sing, where identity is not questioned. Though OGMC is originally and primarily a gay men’s chorus, every gender and identity is included. Everyone is seen for who they are and not what they are.

We take labels off. Each is an individual. We have come together to sing. We are a family”.