Our Founder, Jon Reed Sims
The band was founded by Jon Reed Sims in 1978 as the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps. Born in Smith Center, Kansas, Sims was a musician and performer who formed the band in response to Anita Bryant’s anti-gay campaign in the late 1970s. Upon its founding, the band became the world’s first openly gay musical group.
Over the following years, Sims created the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the Queer Chorus of San Francisco, and the now-defunct Lambda Pro Musica orchestra. He also inspired the creation of similar community bands such as New York’s Queer Big Apple Corps and Los Angeles’ Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles.
Band Timeline
View an interactive timeline of the band’s more than forty-year history below. San Francisco Pride Band-specific events are shown in Red, while world LGBTQ+ events and milestones are shown in Blue.
Email archives@sfprideband.org if you have suggested milestones to add to the timeline.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Concert Band returns to rehearsing after a four-month hiatus due to sheltering-in-place because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. As sheltering-in-place is still in effect, rehearsal was re-engineered to be virtual. Over 50 band members and staff participated.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – We didn’t let the COVID-19-related lockdown and shelter-in-place (SIP) orders stop us from performing together. The Official Band of San Francisco released its first virtual music performance of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco“, the official ballad of San Francisco, reminding us all of the strength we have when we work together as a community.
The band would later re-release the video as part of Tony Bennett’s city-wide sing-along of the song, along with other virtual performances such as “Happy Birthday” (in honor of Harvey Milk), Abba’s “Dancing Queen“, Sousa’s “Hands Across the Sea” (in collaboration with Portland’s Rose City Pride Bands), the anthemic “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman. See the full list of virtual performances the band recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Four decades of life is nothing to scoff at when we never expected to last beyond our first march down Market Street. We planned a year-long birthday season that included a 40th Anniversary Concert with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) at the Palace of Fine Arts, a 40th Year Gala Celebration, and a brand new commissioned piece, “1978 March”, featuring songs that we’ve been playing since Year 1.
We received many honors this year, but our favorite one has to be being voted the Community Organization Grand Marshal of San Francisco Pride, whose 2018 theme was, fittingly, “Generations of Strength”.
OAKLAND, CA – We have always honored and supported the rights of all persons regardless of identity, be that race, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and more. It was thus an easy decision to be a part of the first Oakland’s Women’s March by serenading and playing for the marchers as they went by.
The Women’s March quickly became a regular part of our calendar for the several years in which it was held, where we played for marchers at both the Oakland and San Francisco women’s marches.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – We are honored to be the first openly gay group that was formally invited to perform as part of Super Bowl activities.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Given the unique needs of each of our ensembles, the band separated the artistic leadership for the Concert Band from that of the Marching and Pep Bands, naming Michael J. Wong as our 1st Artistic Director for the latter.
A member of the band since he was a teenager, Mike has continued to bring musicianship, dedication, leadership, passion, and enthusiasm to his role. He is active in the Bay Area music community, having played with West County Winds, the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, and U.C. Berkeley Math Orchestra, and more. (Coincidentally, he plays horn in F as many of our Artistic Directors have, including Jon Sims and current Artistic Director of Concert Band, Pete Nowlen.) Read Mike’s bio to learn more about him!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The band was proud to have our 37th Annual Pride Concert be a part of San Francisco’s centennial celebration of the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition (PPIE). As part of that concert at the Palace of Fine Arts, we performed modern premiers of Saint-Saën’s “Hail, California” and Corin’s “San Fran Pan American March“, along with other songs in honor of the exhibition. These pieces are captured on our CD, “A San Francisco Affair“.
The concert also featured premiere performances by the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, and Camerata California.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Ferde Grofé is perhaps best known for arranging Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”, as well as for his original composition “Grand Canyon Suite.” Grofé also wrote numerous other suites inspired by American locales, including Death Valley, Mississippi, Niagara Falls, and San Francisco. The last, “San Francisco Suite” was only performed once at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. No recording was made–until 2015, when the Band performed its modern concert premiere and committed it to record on our CD, “A San Francisco Affair”. The piece was arranged by long-time band member and librarian Kevin Tam.
At this same concert, we performed the world premiere of Victor Herbert’s “Suite of Serenades” and the modern concert premiere of John Philip Sousa’s humoresque, “Among My Souvenirs,” the latter of which is also on our CD.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – After a long search and a series of amazing guest conductors, we were proud to announce Pete Nowlen as our 11th Artistic Director of Concert Band. A talented musician (horn) and conductor, Pete is faculty in the music departments at Sacramento State and UC Davis, and is also active in many amazing musical organizations throughout the California, LGBA, and the worldwide stage. Read his bio to learn more about Pete!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Harvey Milk was a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights, and we were proud to make our debut at the San Francisco Freedom Day Parade with Supervisor Milk.
We were thus honored to be asked to recreate that momentous day for the biopic that would share his story, donning our original uniforms down to the musical stave logo, red visors, woven belts, and Levi jeans–the tighter, the better (or so the costumes department for “Milk” told us).
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – As technology improved, so too did costs associated with multi-color logos. This meant that the Rainbow Flag, long an important symbol of the queer community, could be incorporated into our logo.
Given our diverse and skilled membership, we were able to utilize the talents of band members and graphic designers Marlene Tam (horizontal logo) and Julie Ann Yuen (circle logo) to bring our logo into the 21st century.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The band’s silver anniversary year took on the theme “The Beat Goes On.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The band’s successfully (mostly) navigated its teen years and now is into its more staid twenties! We released a CD, “If They Could See Us Now: 20 years with the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band,” that served as a musical retrospective on all that the band had accomplished. Also, Supervisor Tom Ammiano proclaimed us, for the first time, the Official Band of the City and County of San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Ever progressive and a staunch believer in equal rights regardless of identity, San Francisco allowed homosexual or other unmarried couples public recognition through “wedding” ceremonies at City Hall or churches. This ordinance was an extension of the city’s 1991 landmark law allowing homosexual and other unmarried couples to register their partnerships with the city.
The band serenaded every couple who walked down the aisle at the Herbst Theatre, and reprised their role two years later at the two year anniversary celebration of the new law.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Named after the San Francisco community leader and philanthropist, the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center is the gateway to the San Francisco Public Library’s Gay and Lesbian Collection.
The theme of the opening and dedication ceremony was “Into the Light,” after the center’s ceiling mural by Charles Brown and Mark Evans, and also the title of Don Seaver’s fanfare that we performed.
HAYWARD, CA – The Lambda Youth Project’s Hayward Gay Prom began with the same intent as the band–to provide an alternative and joyful space for the LGBTQ+ community to unapologetically and fearlessly be themselves. The band began to playing for prom-goers not only to welcome them to this high school rite of passage, but also to drown out protestors across the street.
We are proud to support the Hayward Gay Prom, especially as Jon Sims founded the band believing that music could put a known face on coming out, where music builds bridges, and where it wouldn’t matter whether you were gay or not.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Dyke March is the “one day where dykes can proclaim space, rights, visibility and respect.” Every year, we proudly go to the Castro and play for the brilliant, lively, and powerful marchers, with whom we share a mission of celebrating our community and promoting its visibility.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After participating in the 52nd Presidential Inaugural Parade (as an official invited contingent, 150-musicians strong!), band members were back with their fellow LGBA musicians in Washington for the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi-Equal Rights and Liberation.
The plans for this third march on Washington took on additional meaning as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) had just been passed, permitting gays to serve in the U.S. military but banning homosexual activity. President Clinton had originally campaigned on the promise to lift the ban on gays in the military, but facing opposition in Congress, signed DADT instead. Unfortunately, this compromise resulted in the discharge of thousands of uniformed service persons. Musicians from San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band and other LGBA bands responded by being more committed than ever to the march and their “Americans We” concert at Warner Theatre.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jon Sims’s vision for his fledgling band extended well past the San Francisco city limits, and he dreamed of the day that the Band would play at the Rose Parade or at the White House Rose Garden. We haven’t done either, but we, along with other members from sister LGBA bands (150 musicians in total), were officially invited to play for newly elected President Clinton at his Inaugural Parade.
While lunch took forever to arrive (did it ever?) and we were stranded in the cold waiting for the busses to pick us up (they did eventually show up), 1993 looked promising with a new administration and national recognition for both the queer community in general and for LGBA in particular.
“We were there when our new President and Vice President walked by and waved especially to us on their way to the White House. We were there and we were worthy.” – Lisa Strongin, President, LGBA
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – These were the first Gay Games held outside San Francisco. Virtually the entire San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band & Twirling Corps* went on this trip and marched as its own contingent in the Vancouver Pride Parade; musicians from 18 other LGBA member bands formed a separate contingent. Together, all the musicians performed at the Opening Ceremony, the Closing Ceremony, several sporting events, and a huge concert at the Orpheum Theater. We were joined by our sister jazz ensemble, City Swing, who have since performed several times in Vancouver.
* At this time, the band had not yet been renamed the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Nancy’s ties to the band date to before the band’s inception to when she and Jon Sims studied horn together in Chicago. With his unwavering support, she co-founded what is now The Queer Big Apple Corps; she in turn was one of his closest friends, advisors, and confidants. During her tenure with the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, she began the Community Concert Series, a concert that occurred on “every 2nd Tuesday of every 2nd month” and was free to the public.
Nancy returned to participate in the band’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, performing in the Jon Sims tribute horn ensemble with three other current and past San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Artistic Directors, and riding in our San Francisco Pride Parade Grand Marshall convertible along with founding band member Ken Ward.
“We are whole whole people who happen to express ourselves and serve our community–and build bridges to the straight community–as musicians. We’ve shown that a homosexual lifestyle can be about marching bands and concerts in the park and the smiles on the faces of those who listen to us.”
– Nancy Corporon, May 18, 1993
Every year, our Dance-Along-Nutcracker takes a pop-culture theme and spins the classic “Nutcracker” tale around it. Past iterations have included cowboys, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “The Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Love Boat”, and the “Wizard of Oz”. This first of these elaborate themes began not with the advent of the Dance-Along, but three years later with an “I Love Lucy”/television story.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – With the success of Gay Games I in 1982 and the formation of LGBA a few months later, the first official “Team Band” contingent converged in San Francisco for Gay Games II. We (the host band) welcomed fellow musicians from across the country for a series events including the Opening Ceremony at Kezar Stadium, the Closing Ceremony, and a parade through the Castro District. The marquee performance was our circus-themed “With the Greatest of Ease”, an extravagant sold-out concert at Davies Symphony Hall feature trapeze performers, the Tap Troupe, and more.
Visiting members of other bands would write warmly of their experiences with the the San Francisco Band at the Gay Games, including one group that finished marching in a parade and ran back to the beginning to march again with much glee and fanfare.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The band’s annual quirky and uniquely San Francisco take on the Nutcracker Ballet began as a diverse holiday-themed show and fundraiser at the Giftcenter Pavilion, hosted by the Widow Norton. Audience members were invited to dance along to the holiday tunes, with the jazz ensemble City Swing making their public debut at the event.
Dance-Along Nutcracker was originally conceived as an adult-oriented show for the local LGBTQ+ community, and has since evolved into the all-ages family event it is today. The tutu booth, however, has been a staple since 1985. Learn more at dancealongnutcracker.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Jon Sims’ health rapidly fails in the 18 months after he resigns from the band. He is treated at Ward 5B at SF General and later at Pacific Medical Center where, at 37 years old, he becomes the 237th person to die from AIDS. He leaves behind an enormous queer musical legacy consisting of 37 bands, 200 LGBTQ+ chorus, and many more ensembles and performing arts groups.
Artists and community members at his memorial service filled Grace Cathedral to the rafters with music, joy, and thanks befitting of his dream that arts be driven by love, sharing, and communication could build a world that puts a known face on coming out, and it wouldn’t matter whether you were gay or not.
LOS ANGELES, CA – The devastation that was AIDS was beginning to sweep through the gay community. The Hollywood Bowl fundraiser was one of the earliest events to raise awareness of AIDS in the greater public, and Rita Moreno the first mainstream star to fearlessly attach her name to this misunderstood disease. Proceeds from the event benefited various LGBTQ+ organizations including the AIDS Project/Los Angeles, The Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center, and the National Gay Archives. This concert also is the first where LGBA bands amass to play as a single band.
“I’ve done AIDS benefits…forever. We did a Hollywood Bowl fundraiser—and what a show! My daughter Fernanda, who was sixteen at the time, danced with me. To show you how early this was, the press showed up and exclaimed, ‘Why are you doing this??!’ The implication being that this could be bad publicity. I answered, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’” – Rita Moreno (AU Magazine, Oct. 2013)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Conceived of by Olympic decathlete, Dr. Tom Waddell, the Gay Games‘ mission is “to promote equality through the organization of [this] premiere international LGBT and gay-friendly sports and cultural event.” The first Gay Games were held in Kezar Stadium in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The band, joined by the Great American Yankee Freedom Band (now GFBLA), performed for the Opening Ceremony and other events throughout the games.
This joint performance between the SF and LA bands set the stage for the formation of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA), and a warm tradition of bands joining together each quadrennial as the “Team Band” contingent to play for the Gay Games. Visiting members of other bands would write warmly of their experiences with the the San Francisco Band at Gay Games, including one group that finished marching in a parade and ran back to the beginning to march again with much glee and fanfare.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The “Band Aids”, as they were affectionately known, were formed only minutes after the Band became official. There was an immediately recognized need to support marchers through crowd control, carrying the banner, carrying water, and more. They Aides-de-Camp have won awards for their excellence as an honor guard.
“belonging to the Aides-de-Camp gives their members a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment in promoting a positive image of the gay community.” – Jerry Abrams, former Director of the Aides-de-Camp
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – “Command Performance” at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall was the first time any gay group performed in a major symphony hall. (We were also the first group other than the San Francisco Symphony to perform on the stage!) In fact, after the first show sold out in record time, a second performance on November 11 needed to be added!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Band, along with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, traveled to Los Angeles for their Gay Pride Week. They “paraded” from Roosevelt Hotel to Hollywood High School for the dress rehearsal of their “Hollywood Concert”, before marching the next day in the Gay Pride Parade. The City of Los Angeles recognized the band with an official Certificate of Welcome.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The band is only one year old and this is only the band’s second appearance at the parade.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Band’s first concert, “Winter Concert & Sing Along”, was dedicated to the memory of Harvey Milk and George Moscone, who were assassinated weeks earlier. Held at San Francisco’s historic Everett Middle School (where the Band continues to perform), the concert served as the formal debut of the Band’s sister organization, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, as well as the debut for Jon Sims’ rewritten lyrics for “If My Friends Could See Me Now”, from the musical “Sweet Charity”. An excerpt from those lyrics are, …we’re a source of power they’ll never send back / the closet’s empty now, just like it ought to be…
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This photo shows a handwritten manuscript of these lyrics, along with a note from the Band’s second Archivist, Quentin, stating, “I believe this document to be in Jon’s handwriting, and it may be the only original that is still extant”. Accompanying them is one of the typewritten lyrics sheets that were likely distributed to audience members at that first concert.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Although originally intended to be a one-event-only band, the SFGFDMB&TC found itself in high demand, including as part of musical benefits to rally the community behind the Proposition 6 that sought to ban gays and lesbians from working in California’s public schools.
On this date, the Band participated in the second night of “A Little Rights Music”, an effort to raise funds to fight the Briggs Initiative.
Photo Credit: Richard Best
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Band debuted in the San Francisco Pride Parade.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Freedom Day parade needed live music. Or so Jon Sims (and others) thought. Jon, dissatisfied with his life, figured, why can’t he solve this problem?
The result was that over 50 brave souls shuffled into the Trocadero Transfer disco in answer to Jon’s call to, “[p]ut those lips to good use–Get you your old band instrument and start practicing for the Gay Freedom Day Marching Band!”–that is, if they still had an instrument, or even played one.
Little did these musicians know that when they signed releases indemnifying the Trocadero, in just a few weeks some of them would pose for this promotional picture, and all would make history turning the corner onto Market Street on June 28.
As it was, when they sat down to play a B-flat scale before working through some marches, all that these people wanted was to be a part of a welcoming community. It’s a community that’s lasted for 40 years and counting.