BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus was getting ready to perform at a choral concert on June 9 at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Downtown Buffalo.
The Greater Buffalo Friends of Music organized the event and invited a variety of singing groups to participate.
But last week, they got an email from the Diocese of Buffalo, stating that the diocese chose not to host the concert because "a choir identified to perform is a group whose values are inconsistent with Catholic teaching."
A Diocese spokesman confirmed to 7 News that the email was referring to the Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus, as was first reported by The Buffalo News.
Dr. Robert Strauss, the artistic director for the chorus, says he wasn't surprised...but he was disappointed.
"This is 2024. I can't believe this is happening again," Strauss said.
"We were asked almost a year ago. We agreed over six months ago and the publicity started coming out over a month ago," said Strauss.
But within a few hours of that email going out, another church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Buffalo offered its church for the concert.
Rev. Dr. Jeff Wilson, the lead pastor, said that the Lutheran Church welcomes all people, including the LGBTQ+ community.
"There's something in the Lutheran church called Reconciling in Christ," Wilson said. "And reconciling in Christ means that we as a church have gone through a process where we have a welcome statement that says that we are welcoming and affirming to all of God's people."
Wilson said this isn't about being fashionable.
"People may see that or think that we're trying to be politically correct or espouse a particular political agenda. But love is not partisan. And so we feel that it's an honor and privilege to welcome people," Wilson said.
Wilson shared a story about a parishioner who approached him after he mentioned non-binary people. The parishioner thanked him, saying they're almost never mentioned in churches.
"When they are seen when they're heard, when they're validated, when they're told that they're not abnormal. You're not told that they're outside of God's love. You say, yeah, God loves you too. Just the way you are.”
Strauss is heartened by how everything turned out.
"A wonderful ending," he said. "The support that we've gotten, that the Greater Buffalo Friends of Music has gotten and the support that Holy Trinity has gotten has been amazing. So that just keeps our faith in the Buffalo community and the City of Good Neighbors."
The free rescheduled concert free concert, “We All Sing with the Same Voice,” will be held on June 9 at 4 p.m. in the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church located at 1080 Main Street in Buffalo. It will be the culmination of an all-day Choral Festival and will feature the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus, Holy Trinity Chancel Choir, Incipio, St. Louis Choir, and Vocalis Chamber Choir.
