EDITORIAL
Forty Years of Radical Inclusion: What We Can Learn from Lavender Light
Eric Williamson, center, with members of the Lavender Light Choir. Photo: Cyrille Phipps.
When you hear the phrase “social change through music,” what comes to mind? For many in our field, it means ensembles of student musicians learning to play and sing together.
Sometimes, though, it can mean people of all ages coming together and forging new communities of belonging through music. That’s the nature of my organization: Lavender Light, in New York City.
Lavender Light, the Black and People of All Colors Lesbian & Gay Gospel Choir, was founded in 1985 by two gay Black men: Chas Bennett Brack and Liddell Jackson. One was an atheist and community organizer; the other, a Christian who had been kicked out of his church for being gay. The choir was created out of the need for Black gays and lesbians to be in community by singing Gospel songs and spirituals and to discover a God of their own understanding.
Black LGBTQIA+ individuals have long faced pressure to choose between their Blackness and their queerness—a false narrative perpetuated by both communities through the erasure of intersecting identities. Lavender Light disrupts this harmful narrative, affirming that embracing the fullness of one’s identity is a powerful act of resistance and liberation.
In 1985, Lavender Light was the only LGBTQIA+ gospel choir in the world. The choir broke significant barriers: a predominantly Black choir proudly embracing the blend of gospel music with queer visibility. It was a pioneer in a time when the gay choral movement lacked both racially diverse and mixed-voice choirs.
It also set a new standard regarding accessibility by consistently featuring ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters in its productions, becoming the first choir to feature all Black interpreters. Among them were Howard Hines Jr., a gay man and influential figure in Deaf studies, and Kathleen Taylor; both played a key role in shaping the choir’s inclusive legacy.
Lavender Light emerged during a time when being LGBTQIA+ came with real risks. It took strength and a deep sense of purpose to embrace their full identity and preserve the Black gospel music tradition. The choir faced some rejection from the Black gospel community for being out, and some racial tensions within the gay community during the global AIDS crisis. Nevertheless, Lavender has stood the test of time, remaining steadfast as a choir that is Black, gay, and devoted to the music.
When I became artistic director of Lavender Light, in March 2023, it was struggling to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic and was down to eight members, all aged 50+. This contrasted with the choir’s past demographic of people in their early 20s to mid-30s.
Under my leadership, the choir has grown to 42 members and continues to expand, with ages ranging from 22 to 72. We’ve transformed into an intergenerational space, welcoming members who identify as trans, nonbinary, and intersex, and who use a wide array of gender pronouns. While our choir remains predominantly Black, we also maintain deep connections with the Deaf community, LGBTQIA+ elders, and queer youth. We continue to be a home for Black LGBTQIA+ individuals passionate about singing Black gospel music.
Every rehearsal begins with a grounding activity led by a section leader—something fun, engaging, or reflective to help us connect and learn more about each other. I also make sure to check in on everyone’s well-being: Have they eaten? Is something on their mind? How is their heart? What do they need to release? Building trust starts with showing care.
Lavender Light doesn’t use sheet music, and many members don’t formally read music. Instead, all songs are taught by rote and fully embodied, sometimes incorporating choreography to amplify the music’s message. The choir remains focused on music with clear, powerful messages, welcoming all, regardless of their faith walk.
As an intergenerational space with diverse gender identities, all members are free to sing any voice part they identify with. With my support, singers can choose their part in the choir—including the bass section, which traditional gospel music often lacks. I usually create or adapt a bass line for each song.
Implications for Our Shared Future
We are more crucial than we have ever been before. We are living in an age of misinformation and miseducation: an overwhelming flood of data that makes it almost impossible to decipher fact from fiction. Simultaneously, there is a deliberate global effort to erase LGBTQIA+ people, both in narrative and in reality. Representation matters! It is not just important but revolutionary for the world to see communities like Lavender Light standing strong and thriving. For 40 years, we have been here defying erasure, challenging oppression, and boldly asserting our right to exist, love, and make music.
For Ensemble readers, global efforts to criminalize migrants and other marginalized populations mean that programs who bring them together in musical learning communities need to follow a piece of wisdom passed down to me by my elders. I simply continue their practice by asking the most important question: “What do you need?” This creates a true sense of belonging—and when everyone has what they need, the whole community can thrive.
Music is most powerful when it invites everyone in. Black gospel music emerged from the resilience, struggle, and creative brilliance of Black communities in the U.S. It is a tradition designed to be experienced together. What makes gospel music especially powerful is its accessibility: it transcends genres and offers multiple entry points. Whether through its participatory nature, kinesthetic movement, aural tradition, or the storytelling that brings it to life, gospel music invites everyone in.
We teach more than just music—each piece carries a history, story, and culture. By learning about the people and culture behind the music, we bring deeper purpose and authenticity to our performance. Genres like gospel, rooted in oral traditions, call for full immersion. But full immersion can be created within any genre. Bring your students to concerts where they can experience the music live. Create connections with people who live and breathe the music you want to teach.
Lavender Light invites everyone in by fusing the essence of gospel with the unapologetic presence of LGBTQIA+ identity. By performing this music in the fullness of who we are, we do more than honor the past; we help shape a more inclusive future. We become a living vision of what’s possible: a world where all aspects of our humanity are affirmed, where community is built through shared experience, and where music serves as a catalyst for healing, connection, and liberation.
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