San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is the first openly-gay musical organization in the world, inspiring the formation of LGBTQ+ bands, choruses and performing groups around the globe. Founded in 1978 by Jon Sims at the height of Anita Bryant’s anti-gay crusade, the band has made music to build understanding among communities of all sexual orientations and identities for more than four decades. The Band first appeared in public when it marched up Market Street behind Harvey Milk’s convertible in the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade, an event recreated in the Oscar-winning film Milk.