A choir as vibrant as a rainbow kicked off a pride celebration at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday. They were cheered on by adoring fans who were rejoicing in the power of love.  

“I feel like when we get to sing with an audience, they get to sort of co-sign our experience as queer people,” John Atorino, artistic director of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, said.

What You Need To Know

Different LGBTQ+ artists were spotlighted at the Brooklyn Museum as part of the museum’s initiative called “First Saturdays”

Activities included a pop-up market featuring local Brooklyn artists and an event called Drag and Draw, where people got to sketch drag queens who would switch poses every 10 minutes

Almost every month, the museum spotlights a different community, and for June, it was the LGBTQ+ community

Every “First Saturday” event at the Brooklyn Museum is free and open to the public. The next one is in August, when they’ll be celebrating Caribbean heritage

He says sharing the choir’s joy with audiences is uplifting.

“For so many years, gay people had to hide. And when we get to sing out at fabulous venues like the Brooklyn Museum, we openly and authentically as ourselves, naming ourselves, wearing rainbow shirts. Singing songs like ‘Love Yourself’, the revolution is self love.” Atorino said. “That is progress. And what I love so much about getting to perform here every single year is that reminder of progress, and how far we’ve come.”

Different LGBTQ+ artists were spotlighted at the museum throughout the night.

It’s part of the museum’s initiative called “First Saturdays.”

Lauren Zelaya, the director of public programming at the Brooklyn Museum explains, “‘First Saturdays’ is all about bringing together art, culture, the vibrant creative community of Brooklyn and beyond.”

Almost every month, the museum spotlights a different community, and for June, it was the LGBTQ+ community. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Brooklyn Pride.  

“We know that there’s an ongoing struggle for rights and dignity for LGBTQ folks right now, and arts and culture is an important role to play in this, right? So it’s important for us to humanize and platform the creative outlets of so many queer and trans artists who live in the borough of Brooklyn,” Zelaya said.

There are a number of different activities throughout the museum, including a pop-up market featuring local Brooklyn artists and an event called Drag and Draw, where people got to sketch drag queens who would switch poses every 10 minutes.

Kyle Pearson, who attended a “First Saturday” for the first time, said, “Art and queer have always kind of been hand-in-hand, so it is like a really beautiful thing that the Brooklyn Museum is hosting a Pride event.”

“I think we need to celebrate all of our people. Whatever shape, color, ethnic background,” Susan Golide, who was visiting from California, said. “We have to find the points of connection. We need all the colors. And so to see it really celebrated in this way, it’s just gives me chills.”

Machada McGovern used to live near the museum, and loves to come back for “First Saturdays.”

“It’s just central to the vibrancy of New York City. And it’s lovely at this point in time where everything is so divisive, to see people come together around pride and just celebrate summer, and happiness and joy,” she said.

That joy radiated through the choir’s performance, and is a tribute to the founders who started it 46 years ago, one of whom still sings with the choir today.

“It was their determination, their perseverance, their imagination that they could live in a world where they could sing openly and authentically about themselves that laid the ground for us to sing at the Brooklyn Museum today,” Atorino said.

Every “First Saturday” event at the Brooklyn Museum is free and open to the public. The next one is in August, when they’ll be celebrating Caribbean heritage.