TOWAMENCIN- The arts can be a fantastic way to bring people together. They can express an idea, convey feelings, and even evoke certain emotions. For those reasons, many groups who want to bring people to their causes turn to the arts to make their voices heard.

Throughout history, moral protestors have used the arts as a rallying cry. Figures like Henry David Thoreau and Pearl S. Buck used literature to change society’s opinions, the Beatles used music, and Pablo Picasso accomplished it with painting.

An example of one such group is the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, whose mission it is to spread the message of strength and unity around the area, which they accomplish through singing and powerful performances. Throughout the year, the chorus travels around Philadelphia and its suburbs to give a variety of shows, as well as share stories and illustrate the positive message of the LGBTQ Rights movement.

Each year, the chorus sends a small group of representatives to perform at local high schools and reach out to homosexual youth in order to show that it is possible for someone to be gay and also do what they love.

“It’s so crucial for these young people to be exposed to that,” said chorus member Andrew Monath.

Initially, Monath was a conductor, but he also has a passion for singing, a passion that led him to join the chorus.

“I believe it’s important for musicians to be able to round out their talents,” said Monath.

Like many of this peers on the chorus, he hopes to be part of something great and spread a message through song. And based on the reception that was given in the audion, NPHS received the message well.

Dozens of students, both LGBTQ and heterosexual, filed into the seats on Wednesday, November 16^th during fourth period to watch the performance, meeting every song with a resounding applaud as the singers performed powerful pieces such as “True Colors” and “Lean on me.”

“They’re a very talented group,” said North Penn social studies teacher Dr. David Hall. Hall is the advisor of the Rainbow Alliance and is very proud that the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus could be present.

“It was a very easy process for me to get them here,” stated Hall. “Me and Ms. Milbourne sat down with Mr. Bower and said that we wanted to have this happen, and he thought it was a great idea.”

In many ways, the assembly could be considered a major achievement for the Rainbow Alliance. Since its inception in 1955, the North Penn School District has never hosted any LGBTQ assemblies. The arrival of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus heralds the first, with perhaps many to follow.

“The next stop is to get a school wide assembly,” said Rainbow Alliance president Melissa Braccia. “The Rainbow Alliance has been at North Penn for about fourteen years now, but a larger assembly will help open people’s eyes to the struggles that some people are actually living.”

The performance of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus was something that any student could have attended, requiring only teacher permission to be present. Many students took advantage of the opportunity, and after the great performance was finished, the singers stayed behind to talk with North Penn’s Rainbow Alliance students.

“They talked a lot about why do it,” explained Hall. “That they want to bring people together. They also shared some of their stories, a lot of which were similar to what we see within the school. Some have loving families, while others have lost their families because they were gay. In the end, the talk-back showed just how important this was to the school.”

One such story given was that of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to run for an elected office. He ran for San Francisco Supervisor and earned a seat on the city’s Board of Supervisors. However, in 1978 he was murdered because of his sexuality.

“Even with all the progress LGBTQ rights have made, there is still a possibility that they could be threatened,” Braccia said. “We need activists like the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus to keep spreading this message.”

Another thing to hammer home the principles behind the assembly is that it happened to be on the eve of the Trans Day of Remembrance, a day in which people across the country gather to remember the staggering number of Trans people who have passed away, either due to suicide or murder.

“4.6% of US citizens have committed suicide,” stated Braccia . “41% of that number are trans people alone, and if we take into account the rest of the LGBTQ community, the number rises above 50%. It’s terrifying that LGBTQ people make up more than half of the suicides in this country.”

While the performance of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus was an optional assembly and not shown to the entire school, it cannot be denied that the message it gave is one every student should be aware of.