Overview:
The Denver Feminist Chorus and Denver Gay Men's Chorus use music to foster community and inspire change throughout the metro area.
When Rose Bythrow joined the Denver Feminist Chorus, she had a simple goal: to sing.
“I initially joined the choir for the sole purpose of singing but soon came to find a community for me there that feels like a second family,” Bythrow said. “There are about 150 members in the choir, making it even easier to find my people. We are all a part of some sort of social justice movement.”
For singers in the Denver Feminist Chorus and Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, that sense of belonging is central to the music. Both groups are part of Denver’s long tradition of social justice choirs, using performance to create community for marginalized singers while raising a collective voice on issues such as gender equity, queer visibility and civil rights.
At a time when LGBTQ+ rights remain deeply contested nationally, members say these choirs offer something increasingly vital: a place to be supported and fully seen.
“This choir is a safe space for me and many people who belong to marginalized groups, helping us not feel alone in our identities and as people,” said Tyler Kirkland, president of the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus’ Chorus Council. “The choir has genuinely saved lives.”
That mission has deep roots. The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus was founded in 1982 and has spent more than four decades building community and fostering acceptance through music. The Denver Feminist Chorus traces its roots to 1984, when it was founded by lesbian singers as a safe place for members and an outlet for musical expression. The group was formerly known as the Denver Women’s Chorus before adopting the Denver Feminist Chorus name in 2024.
“Our choir, like many that do similar things, takes one step further than just singing,” said Hannah Kimball, artistic director of the Denver Feminist Chorus. “We reach out to the community through fundraisers and make connections with people in our community.”
Resistance choirs date back to the founding of our country and the early twentieth century, when the labor movement renamed “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to “Solidarity Forever.” They were seen and heard during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, the Vietnam War protests in the 1970s, and South Africa’s apartheid movement in the 1980s.
More recently, protests against ICE following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis have seen people express their purpose collectively through song. Members of these choirs describe rehearsals as judgment-free environments in which singers can be completely themselves.
“I am always grateful for the community aspect,” said Sara Powell, a singer in the Denver Feminist Chorus. “We have conversations beyond the rehearsals, and I even get lunch with some of the friends I have made in the choir. That is how close we are as a community.”
In a large church basement, the Denver Feminist Chorus rehearses for an upcoming concert, singing songs inspired by the work of Greek poet Sappho. The singers converse between takes as if they’ve known each other forever, and Kimball’s humorous direction of the choir brightens the room.
What distinguishes these groups from traditional choirs is the mission behind the music. The Denver Feminist Chorus and Denver Gay Men’s Chorus use performance to address social issues, including gender equity, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights. Their concerts often combine music, storytelling and movement to make political and personal issues feel immediate.
For some singers, that mission has shaped their understanding of themselves.
“The gender diversity that I saw in the choir has really helped me come out and find my own identity,” said Karen Tran, a singer in the Denver Feminist Chorus. “Without the choir, I would have had a much harder time figuring out who the hell I was. I am so glad I have found this community and am able to speak about these important issues.”
Those values are also shaping the choruses’ upcoming performances. On May 30, the Denver Feminist Chorus will bring “Pride & Unprejudiced” to Wellshire Presbyterian Church for two performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Built around the fight over free expression, the Pride season concert lifts up LGBTQIA+ communities, people of color and women writers whose work has been challenged or censored. The program includes music inspired by banned and challenged books such as “Gender Queer,” “The Bluest Eye” and “Fun Home,” along with theatrical readings by local drag performers.
“The music allows us to be hopeful and to bring joy to audiences who may be struggling to be seen,” Kimball said. “We recognize the hardships while also celebrating the good.”
For the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, the next major concert is “Madam Hair,” a high-energy June program celebrating hair as a vital part of gender expression and culture. The show centers on the legacy of A’Lelia Walker, daughter of Madame C.J. Walker, and connects Colorado history with LGBTQIA+ history as the state approaches its 150th anniversary.
The chorus will perform “Madam Hair” at multiple venues across the metro area, including the Parsons Theatre in Northglenn on June 7 at 2p.m., the King Center in Denver on June 12-13 at 7:30 p.m. and the Arvada Center on June 14 at 3 p.m.
“We hope to inspire change in people by challenging Denver to stand up for what is right,” Kirkland said. “There are some wonderful stories told by people after we perform. They would just come up to the stage and start talking about their experience with the topic we sung about.”
Michael Hobbs, a singer in the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, said audience members often respond to the performances because the music gives them a way to process issues they may not otherwise talk about openly.
“We get a really good response after each concert, often having left changing perspectives and expressions through our performances,” Hobbs said. “It feels like an outlet not only for the singers but the audience as well.”
The choirs’ work also extends beyond formal concerts. Members perform at community events, collaborate with other organizations and use music to support causes tied to their missions at marches, churches, Pride events and on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol.
The Denver Feminist Chorus and Denver Gay Men’s Chorus are part of a broader network of social justice-centered choirs in Colorado, where singers use music to build community and speak to issues larger than themselves. Other local social justice-oriented music groups include the Singing Resistance, which has chapters across the state. Additionally, Flobots’ side project NOENEMIES collaborates with the community at protests.
For the singers in these groups, the work is not only about what happens during a concert. It is also about what happens in rehearsal rooms, friendships, community events and the moments when someone realizes they are not alone.
“I think gathering in this way is important,” Bythrow said. “We are able to blend community and musical excellence and output a message that will hopefully change someone’s mind or make them feel seen. It has encouraged me to be more involved in politics because I get to hear all of these diverse stories.”
