Singer Jake Pitochelli said returning to rehearsals and performances has been a celebration for members who missed their musical community. “To be able to take that basis and tell our own stories that are just as diverse, if not more - to be able to take that platform and use that platform to magnify our voices - how we learn and teach the world together.” “There were always characters struggling with their identity,” he said of his Disney favorites. But the thing about family is that you leave room for them to learn and grow with you,” he said.īrewer said it’s been a joy to sing songs from his childhood that have also been important to the gay community. Tyler Brewer, 32, who’s been with the chorus for nine years and is vice president of the ensemble’s board of directors, said that while he was disappointed with Disney’s initial lack of response to the legislation, he appreciated that the company ultimately took a stand. In April, Florida legislators voted to revoke Disney World’s special tax status. But after criticism for that silence, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the legislation. The group knows the timing of this show is significant.Īs rehearsals began early in 2022, Disney was thrust into the center of a debate in Florida, where in March Republican Governor Ron DeSantis had signed the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bars “classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through third gradeĪt first, Disney stayed out of the heated debate about the bill. The Boston Gay Men's Chorus rehearses “Disney PRIDE In Concert” with an orchestra at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology.