The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus receive death threats for ‘we’ll convert your children’ satire

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus say they were forced to take down their music video A Message From the Gay Community, where they joke about ‘converting’ children after receiving multiple death threats. 

The satirical video plays on the homophobic notion that the gay community is looking to convert children and turns the idea on its head by suggesting they will convert them- into tolerant, open minded people.  

The video, which was taken down, starts with a serious message from a chorus singer: ‘As we celebrate Pride and progress we’ve made over these past years, there’s still work to be done,’ he says looking into the camera. ‘So to those of you out there who are still working against equal rights, we have a message for you.’

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus sing  ‘A Message From the Gay Community’

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus were forced to take down their music video ‘A Message From the Gay Community’ after members received death threats

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a statement regarding the satirical song 

He then breaks into song, singing ‘You think we’re sinful, you fight against our rights, you say we all lead lives you can’t respect, but you’re just frightened, you think that we’ll corrupt your kids if our agenda goes unchecked, funny, just this once, you’re correct,’ 

Then the song goes all in on the satire, as the singer sarcastically sings ‘We’ll convert your children, happens bit by bit, quietly and subtly, and you will barely notice it’

‘You can keep them from disco, warn about San Francisco, make ’em wear pleated pants, we don’t care, we’ll convert your children, we’ll make them tolerant and fair,’ he continues. 

The video was mostly well received but San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus said they’d had some furious backlash from a some conservatives who appeared to miss the irony in the lyrics.

‘They have taken the lyrics out of context to support a narrative that suits their intolerant and hateful needs,’ a statement from the chorus said. ‘It is obvious the tongue-in-cheek humor is lost on many. As a result, we have seen the user comments on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram become increasingly alarming. Emails to individuals and the chorus office are vitriolic- including threats of harm.’ 

The group, which said they are dedicated to being ‘role models’ who ‘spread the message of love’ made the video private after singers featured in the video  received death threats and said they are working with authorities. 

‘It was a difficult decision, because we are an organization whose mission really is both artistic but also activist,’ Verdugo told Yahoo Life. ‘We are the first gay men’s chorus on the planet. … We are a social justice organization … so it’s very difficult for us to decide to take down that video. But the soloists — who are not in the chorus but, in their own right, rising Broadway stars, have received death threats.’ 

The video, originally posted on July 1, has been made private but people on social media are still reacting to the song.

‘I hate when these creeps entitle things ‘A message from the gay community’. No. Most of us are sane, and want nothing to do with this woketard madness. FFS stay away from people’s kids. It’s not clever or funny. It pisses everyone off,’ someone tweeted.  

Someone else posted: ‘What kills me is that gays have been fighting against ‘conversion’ forever… stating it isn’t a choice… but suddenly they think they can convert straight ppl to be gay… like THAT’s a choice… you can’t have it both ways, ppl…. get over yourself….’

One person simply tweeted: ‘Sick so sick,’ in reaction to the song. 

While another person tweeted: ‘This will damage the gay community HUGELY! Can’t they see this? What IDIOTS they are. So much hard work undone, with just one song…’ 

Director of the chorus, Chris Verdugo, said the backlash was unexpected and told the Advocate that the song was actually originally commissioned by the Oakland Symphony about four years ago. 

‘We had performed the song previously and have been performing it for a number of years, and obviously to friendly audiences who were not only in on the joke, but loved the song,’ he said.

But once the video was picked up by Alex Jones and his news site Infowars, the group was inundated with messages accusing them of having nefarious intentions with the song, the Advocate reported. 

The accusations perpetuate harmful myths that imagines there is a ‘gay agenda’- the idea that homosexuals recruit the young, and many others.

‘It’s a trope that just keeps getting peddled around, and this country is more divided than it ever has been,’ Verdugo told Yahoo Life. ‘But if you’re a rational person, you realize, ”Oh this is a satirical song that’s being turned on its ear.”’