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The chorus has produced a full-length opera, a musical, and five recordings and has collaborated with several other local arts organizations, including the Oregon Ballet and the Oregon Symphony. PGMC has commissioned several compositions and arrangements, including feature-length works on subjects such as gay elders, HIV, gay youth, and peace by composers Lou Harrison, David York, Kate Campbell, Robert Seeley, Anne LeBaron, Tomas Svoboda, and Tom Simonds. PGMC also participated in seven of eight international festivals of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses), of which it is a charter member it hosted the association’s leadership conference in 2001.
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The chorus has toured throughout Oregon, benefiting local organizations at its members' own expense. PGMC continues a partnership with CAP, participating in the annual AIDS Walk and performing for various CAP functions. Founded in 1983, CAP is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, housing, education, and advocacy in Oregon and southwest Washington. PGMC responded by performing concerts to raise funds for AIDS services throughout the state, including raising seed money for the Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) Pal Program. With the outbreak of the HIV epidemic, over 120 members died from the disease.
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Performances also have featured professional soloists and musicians. Throughout its history, PGMC has presented concerts with wide appeal, including repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary to camp, supplemented by dance, staging, and multi-media. PGMC quickly became an institution in the Portland area, seeking to revive and invigorate men's choral art while bridging the barriers separating sexual minority people from the population at large. Its mission is “to expand, redefine, and perfect the choral art through eclectic performances that honor and uplift the gay community and affirm the worth of all people." PGMC, which was formally incorporated on June 30, 1981, is recognized as the fourth oldest LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) “affinity” chorus in the United States. That June, the group organized and elected officers, with the entire chorus serving as the board of directors. Twenty men responded to an ad published by Gary Coleman in the local community paper, The Fountain. The Portland Gay Men's Chorus (PGMC) was founded in April 1980 to perform a concert as part of that year's local Gay Pride Festival.