Lesbian and Gay Band Association

In 1982, members of five LGBT bands met in Chicago to create the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA) and catalyze a movement built on music, visibility and pride. Thirty years later - in 2012, we are witnessing an inflection point in our culture and LGBT rights. Getting to this point was not easy, but our member bands should celebrate that LGBA bands often led the marches to equality. We hope you will join us in celebrating our achievements and planning how we will promote music, visibility and pride over the next 30 years. 30 Years of Music, Visibility and Pride Created at the dawn of a dark era – the rapid growth of the AIDS epidemic, the Lesbian and Gay Band Association took root in cities across the United States, Europe and Australia and has grown to include nearly 40 bands and partner organizations. We have strength in numbers. Throughout the physical, emotional and political attacks on our community, LGBA member bands have grown and proudly marched at the front of pride parades and political marches to be visible, held comforting concerts to commemorate the ones we lost to the epidemic, created music to entertain millions and proudly claimed our rights as humans. It is time celebrate 30 years of remarkable progress towards LGBT equality and our role in it. We hope you will consider giving to our campaign to create the first LGBA commissioned piece of music – to celebrate our progress and catalyze the future. (link to Paypal) Celebrate Progress of the Past 30 Years If you’re old enough to remember Stonewall, you’ve seen the whole arc of the gay rights movement – and your role in it. You created and grew your community band to fight bigotry through performing music. You witnessed the tragedy of AIDS and created and performed music to celebrate the many we lost. You have fought homophobia and won. It is time to relish these victories through music – through the first ever LGBA commissioned piece. Create and Catalyze Music for the Next 30 Years If you don’t remember Stonewall, the advent of AIDS or time before employment and marriage rights, we hope you are proud of the progress our community has made in past 30 years. Because not all of our community is free, we need your help to catalyze the future. We have new ways to fight homophobia in society through music. We want to start commissioning high-quality pieces of music for publication and distribution to community bands, schools and professional ensembles to further our mission of music, visibility and pride. We hope you will consider giving to our campaign to create the first LGBA commissioned piece of music – to be published with “Commissioned by the Lesbian and Gay Band Association” above the title. Create the Future In our 30th year, we celebrate the freedom that our bands give to their members and the LGBT community at large. We celebrate and support the growth of vibrancy of our bands. We continue to fight homophobia through music. Please consider giving to this campaign. Create a legacy for future band members. Celebrate - YOU At the 30th anniversary concert in Dallas, we will celebrate you for your donation to this important campaign. You will be recognized in several ways. First, your name, picture and reason for supporting the campaign will be listed in the concert program in Dallas where this piece will be debuted. Second, you will be recognized on the LGBA website under special section for LGBA’s pillars of progress. Third, you will be given a an audio recording of this piece’s debut performance. Lastly, you will be invited to a special cocktail reception to recognize your contribution to our past and future. Of course, you gift is tax deductible.