[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING THE WINDY CITY GAY CHORUS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 15, 2009

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Windy City 
Gay Chorus and all its current and past members on their 30th 
anniversary celebration.
  Founded in 1979, the Windy City Gay Chorus is the oldest gay chorus 
in Illinois and the Midwest and one of the oldest in the country.
  The Windy City Gay Chorus and its volunteer members have been 
distinguished for their commitment to professional-quality musical 
performances and their dedication to Chicago's LGBT community.
  WCGC is respected nationally and internationally and is regarded by 
critics and audiences as one of the outstanding gay choruses. It 
performs a wide variety of music from pop, jazz and swing to classical. 
Its annual ``Don We Now . . .'' concert is one of the highlights of 
Chicago's holiday season.
  The Windy City Gay Chorus has won numerous honors and awards, 
including first prize at the Johnny Mann Great American Choral 
Festival, the only gay group ever to do so.
  It has been invited to perform at meetings of the American Choral 
Directors Association, at the inauguration of Chicago Mayor Richard M. 
Daley, and at two of the world's most famous concert halls, Orchestra 
Hall in Chicago and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York.
  The Windy City Gay Chorus and its affiliated choruses--Aria, Unison 
and Windy City Slickers--use the universal language of music to bridge 
the divisions that separate us and to bring joy, hope and pride not 
just to the LGBT community but to everyone who experiences their music.
  The hard work and dedication of the Windy City Gay Chorus reminds us, 
especially during Gay Pride Month, of the enormous contributions that 
gay and lesbian Americans and the entire LGBT community have made to 
our country.
  Madam Speaker, I congratulate and thank the Windy City Gay Chorus and 
all its members for their service to our community and wish them 30 
more years of making beautiful and uplifting music.

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