By james art 
In mid -January, the Men’s Choir of Steel City gathered for his first rehearsal of the 2025 season. The church of worshipers in Birmingham clearly rang music as the members of the choirs sang together from the shelves. Director Elizabeth Fisher has retained her time from the front of the sanctuary.
The Chorus is rehearsing a song from their upcoming season, one of Broadway’s musical Side showS They sing, “Who will proudly stand next to me, who will love me as I am?”
Steel City’s male choir is unique in alabama.
“We are literally the only Queer identified choir of all kinds in Alabama, which is heartbreaking,” Fisher said. “Also, in my opinion, it makes our work really important.”
When Steel City Chorus first began in 2013, members of the founders chose to leave the word “gay” of the title.
“When we formed, there were, and there are still people who can be fired or compromised professionally if they are known to be part of a choir that is gay,” Fisher said.
The LGBTQ+advocacy group, the human rights campaign, reports that Alabama is one of many countries without legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and others.
“As I do not have this word in our title, it allows more people to be able to participate,” Fisher said.
Today, the members of the chorus say that they are most untouched by discriminatory behavior beyond accidental hateful messages in social media. In general, the group is a safe, although rare space to find a community in the city.
“It is good to have friends and community as a blue point in red,” says Chris Butler, a member of the Birmingham Choir. “It’s hard to meet people in Birmingham. There are simply not many places that people can go and meet other gays like themselves. ”
Some members have experience in music, or through a solo instrumental career, or as singers. But many are attracted to the entertainment and companionship group. Throughout the year, the chorus works and performs for local charity organizations. Ticket sales, fundraising and sponsorships from local supporters help to maintain the kernel, but every chorus singer pays membership fees as part of his investment in the group.
Frank McCrotri, the president of the chorus, says the culture surrounding the gay in Alabama has changed over the years. He grows up in choirs in the southern Baptist church and believes that things are now worse.
“Fortunately, then there was no whole stigma we have today,” McCrors said. “With all the madness of making gay people be the spawning of Satan.”
The rehearsal happened the day before the presidential inauguration. The next day, the Trump administration removed most LGBTQ+ focused content from the White House website, including mentions of words like “lesbians” or “gay”. The executive orders signed by the new president have canceled previous orders that seek discrimination based on sexual orientation. This makes members like McCroory nervous.
“I had friends who were looking to leave the country or leave the country because of it, depending on how bad things were happening,” McCro said. “I just hope things won’t get so bad.”
Chris Wheeler, the tenor leader, says that no matter what is happening at the national level, the kennel has each other.
“We are not just having fun, but also to bring a voice and exposure to the LGBTQ community and show them that especially here, in the deep south, they belong. They are loved, ”Willer said.
The director of the Chorus Elizabeth Fisher dreams of making a LGBTQ+empire of singing groups for young people, women and more. But for now, she says that the fact that Steel City’s male choir exists only today and in a conservative state is significant in itself.
“I think music can often succumb to social justice problems in a way that can be pleasing to people,” Fisher said. “Because it combines something with beauty and we also use some humor in it and present it to the audience in a way that I think people can connect.”
The Steel City Men’s Choir will continue to offer this connection with the people in Birmingham and the LGBTQ+ Community south, no matter what the next four years.