This article is © The Morning Call Newspaper Company

Date: Monday, May 4, 1998

Page: B01 Edition: FIFTH Section: LOCAL/REGION

VALLEY GAY SINGERS ARE ACCIDENTAL ACTIVISTS-- THE ALL-MALE CHORUS WILL PERFORM "PRAYERS FOR  BOBBY" IN BENEFIT AT BETHLEHEM CHURCH

 by SUSAN RUIZ PATTON, The Morning Call

Each note was clear and soft as the voices of 14 men joined to rehearse Duke Ellington's velvety "Mood Indigo." The men were dressed casually, some in jeans and T-shirts, seated in folding chairs at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethlehem. Their voices were all business. For the past three months, the group has been rehearsing here for 2-1/2 hours a week.

These dedicated amateurs, who joined in 1994 as the Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus, will perform with the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus at 8 p.m. May 16 in a benefit concert at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Bethlehem.

Few male choruses perform songs such as "Bosom Buddies" from Mame and "True Colors," recorded by Cyndi Lauper, but these men do. That's not all that distinguishes this group of men from other choruses. These men are almost unwilling activists for gays. "These guys are great, but they are also cultural warriors," said their artistic director, J.A. Kawarsky of Doylestown. "They may not think they're a political entity, but they are."

Including the word gay in their name was something with which one of the founders, Steven Olofson of Allentown, struggled. Early publicity about the chorus actually "outed" some members before they attended, fortunately without negative impacts on their lives, Olofson said.

But don't take that to mean the group limits itself to a strictly gay or strictly male membership. Women and those who are friendly toward gays are also welcome in the group -- as long as they can sing. One woman sings in the tenor section.

Although identifying themselves as gay may have limited some of their performing venues, it hasn't limited the success they've experienced in the past four years. In June 1997, Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus was named the best musical group in the Philadelphia Pride Parade. The group has performed with Opera Diva Marilyn Horn, the Moravian Wind Ensemble, A Chorus Celebrating Women (ACCO) and the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus.

The May 16 performance will bring many firsts for the Lehigh Valley group. It will be the first time the group has performed with an orchestra, said chorus member Christopher L. Miller of Hellertown.

This also will be their first performance to be memorized, including the 50-page musical performance of "Prayers for Bobby," narrated by Ardath Rodale, the chairwoman and CEO of Rodale Press Inc. of Emmaus.

The musical work "Prayers for Bobby" is based on a book of the same name by Leroy Aarons and Mary Griffith. It relates how a Christian mother dealt with the suicide death of her gay son. Olofson said he is concerned with statistics he has found that attribute many teen suicides to fears associated with being gay.

"Gay men aren't allowed to be positive male role models," Olofson said. He said he's hoping that the 14 men in the chorus can change that. "If having the word gay in our name will save one teen-ager from jumping off a bridge, then it's worth all the abuse, all the obscene telephone calls and nasty letters."

It takes guts to declare yourself gay and go on stage and sing as part of a group that identifies itself as such, Olofson said. "We're not afraid of who we are," he said. "We're not out there molesting little boys. I've been married for 12 years," he said of his monogamous relationship with Robert Roush. In fact, Olofson said, many of the gay members of the chorus have been in monogamous relationships for as long as 25 years.

Another founding member, Waid Smith of Allentown, never revealed that he was gay during his many years as a teacher of history and English at Southern Lehigh High School. But now that he has retired, he isn't afraid to reveal that. "We're not all hairdressers," said Olofson, who works for a construction company. "We do have a florist in the group, two teachers. We had a bus driver, an engineer and some were once married with children."

Although these men are not afraid of who they are, some of their families are still struggling. "I hope members of my family will come to the performance, especially to hear `Prayers for Bobby,' said Miller, who felt he could relate to the subject.

In the story, Bobby's mother comes to terms with her son's sexuality too late, after the boy leaps to his death from a bridge. "It's odd how being gay divides some families and brings others together," Olofson said.

The Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus will perform at 10:45 a.m. May 24 at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Center St., Bethlehem; at 8 p.m. June 13 at the College of New Jersey in Trenton; June 14 in the Diversity of Pride Parade in Philadelphia; and a fall concert is being planned.

Tickets will be available at the door for the May 16 performance, but concert goers are encouraged to arrive early to check out the silent auction items. For advance tickets or more information on the performance, which benefits AIDS Services Center, P-FLAG, and Pride of the Lehigh Valley, call 366-3320 or e-mail Olofson at steveo@early.com.

 PHOTO by DOUGLAS BENEDICT, The Morning Call