Our History

1995

Rhode Island becomes the ninth U.S. state to ban LGBTQ+ discrimination when Governor Lincoln Almond signs the Sexual Orientation Civil Rights Act into law.

That same year, after a conversation at Mirabar, a Providence gay bar, and an ad in Options, a local LGBTQ magazine, eight men gather in a Pawtucket living room for the first rehearsal of the Providence Gay Men's Chorus (PGMC). Founder Brian Lopes's vision is simple: a place where gay men can come together, support each other, and share their artistic talents without judgment.

The chorus quickly expands, forming its first board and growing to 12 members in time for our debut performance. This first concert, This is It, directed by Carl D. Swanson with accompanist Dwight Thompson, takes place at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Wareham, Massachusetts, as no Rhode Island church would host the group. 

Following our debut, St. James Episcopal Church in North Providence opens its doors to host regular rehearsals.

1999

Now boasting a membership of 50 singers, the chorus returns to the Bell Street Chapel for its fall concert series. On November 14, the ensemble performs at the Newport Congregational Church under the direction of Charles Pietrello and accompanist Bruce Ruby.

In honor of the milestone, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Almond proclaims November 14 as Providence Gay Men's Chorus Day, celebrating the group's fourth anniversary and its dual mission of creating beautiful music and promoting mutual respect. Days later, on November 18, U.S. Senator Jack Reed officially enters the tribute and the gubernatorial proclamation into the Congressional Record, elevating the chorus's local impact to the national stage.

2004

Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. Rhode Island, while not yet granting marriage licenses, becomes one of the first states to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

That spring, PGMC stages ExtrABBAganza!, a fully choreographed cabaret featuring the music of ABBA, in which members share their coming-out stories alongside a survey of LGBTQ rights in America. Written by chorus member Bradford Greer, the show plays to packed houses and becomes one of the most celebrated productions in the chorus's history.

Assistant Director Terry Lindsey becomes the director. He conducts the chorus in our holiday-themed concert: Winter Serenade, which includes “It Won’t Feel Like Christmas,” a song Lindsey wrote for his parents. The song is later chosen and performed by the Broadway cast of The Boy from Oz for Broadway Cares, an annual AIDS fundraiser.

2006

PGMC celebrates its 10th anniversary with Seasons of Song, performed at Beneficent Church in Providence on May 31, June 3, and June 4.

2008

PGMC joins GALA Choruses, the international association of LGBTQ+ choral organizations, and travels to Miami to represent Rhode Island at the GALA Choral Festival, the first of several appearances at the international gathering. The trip is championed by Director Terry Lindsey, who this year passes the leadership torch to Dr. Teresa Coffman. 

Members of PGMC also perform in Shining Through Broken Glass: A Kristallnacht Concert, presented by Temple Emanu-El in partnership with the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island on November 9, the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

2009

On the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, the 1969 rebellion against police harassment of the LGBTQ community that sparked the modern gay rights movement, PGMC presents Each... Other: Why We Sing / Remembering Stonewall, June 1969 - June 2009.

That same year, PGMC is voted Best Male Chorus by Motif Magazine, the first of many times the chorus would earn that honor.

We also win the RI Pride Parade award for Best Use of Theme, which was Paint the Town Proud. Artist Michael Willhoite sketched caricatures of famous gays and lesbians on a rolling painted wheel. 

2012

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signs an executive order extending state employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners.

PGMC travels to Denver for the GALA Choral Festival under the direction of Teresa Coffman, who leads the chorus in her final concert as director. At the festival, Assistant Director Kim Kuda debuts her original composition "Out on the Bay," a musical ode to Rhode Island that becomes a signature piece for the group.

Following the festival, Kim Kuda assumes the directorship, beginning a new chapter for the chorus.

2013

Rhode Island becomes the tenth U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage, with Governor Lincoln Chafee signing the bill into law on May 2.

2015

On June 26, same-sex marriage is legalized nationwide when the Supreme Court rules in Obergefell v. Hodges that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples under the Fourteenth Amendment.

2016

PGMC joins six other Rhode Island choral groups for Singing the Dream, a community concert honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Grace Episcopal Church in Providence on January 31. The concert brings together over 150 voices from across the state.

That spring, PGMC marks its 20th anniversary with its 20th Anniversary Show, featuring highlights from two decades of performances. The chorus performs at the Providence Public Library on May 19 and the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich on May 21 and 22.

Following the tragic June shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Assistant Director Kim Kuda composes "Imagine and Believe" as a powerful musical tribute to the victims. The piece is embraced by the chorus as a profound anthem of resilience, community healing, and solidarity in the face of tragedy.

2020

To reflect our statewide reach, the chorus changes its name from the Providence Gay Men's Chorus to the Rhode Island Gay Men's Chorus (RIGMC).

The GALA Choral Festival is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022

Following a difficult two-year hiatus from live, public performances due to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the chorus returns to the stage, presenting our holiday comeback concert series, Believe in Your 'Elf.

2024

RIGMC opens for The Providence Singers' production of Craig Hella Johnson's Considering Matthew Shepard. Our performance includes the world premiere of “Beyond,” a new composition written for the occasion by Artistic Director Kim Kuda.

That summer, RIGMC travels to Minneapolis to perform at the GALA Choral Festival, presenting a "Christmas in July" program that included the world premiere of Kim Kuda’s original holiday tune, inspired by an overheard audience comment: "It Isn't Christmas until the Gay Men Sing."

2026

RIGMC launches its new logo, website, and tagline, "Proud voices making waves since 1995," to commemorate its 30th anniversary.