From July 7 to 9, 2024, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus brought the Love Tour to Iowa City, Omaha, and Des Moines. Led by Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, the tour connected SFGMC with local choruses and organizations working for LGBTQ+ belonging.
Each stop paired a concert with community partnerships. The tour gave audiences a chance to hear local voices alongside SFGMC and learn about the people supporting queer communities throughout the region.
Three cities, three collaborations
Iowa City: July 7
The tour opened at the University of Iowa’s Voxman Music Building with the Quire of Eastern Iowa. The partnership also included the family of Puck Carlson, a young plaintiff challenging legislation targeting LGBTQ+ rights in Iowa.
Omaha: July 8
At Countryside Community Church, SFGMC joined the River City Mixed Chorus. The free concert supported OutNebraska, whose work includes advocacy, education, and celebrating LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Voluntary contributions benefited that local organization.
Des Moines: July 9
The final performance took place outdoors at the Lauridsen Amphitheater and Killinger Family Stage in Water Works Park, with the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus. Iowa Safe Schools helped connect LGBTQ+ and allied young people with the concert experience.
Local voices at the center
The Love Tour built on a long SFGMC tradition of traveling to meet communities beyond the Bay Area. Its local partners brought their own musical histories and year-round work to each stop. The concerts were an opportunity for those relationships, and the people behind them, to be seen and heard.
Photos from the tour
Photography by Jonathan Dwight.
Explore more of SFGMC’s history and community work.
