From the LA Gay Men’s Chorus comes the heartwarming story of Chris Yraola, a young straight dude who practically begged to join the renowned singing group. You see, straight guys don’t sing. At least not in falsetto. And only with other guys in rocks bands where everyone bangs on loud instruments and gyrates for teenage girls in the audience. Since Yraola wants to perform, ah, sweeter tunes, he has to sing on our team. There just are not straight choir groups out there quite that good, after all. Or where you can be the center of attention just for the accident of not being gay.
“I want to thank everyone for welcoming me,” Yraola, a 24-year-old tenor announced at the end of a recent concert. “It means a lot because, No. 1, I’m a little shy. And, No. 2, well, I’m a straight guy.”
Clearly what’s really going on here is a heterosexual conspiracy to take over our precious gay culture!
The Chorus leaders see the straight integration as the next step in social progress. In fact Yraola is the second non-gay to join the chorus (the first is Jordan Bell, pictured in leather jacket and coif). If this keeps up, the chorus will be belting out Judas Priest tunes. Perhaps the chorus should go the way of some of the gay softball leagues, which limits straight players to two members of a team, a policy that has produced at least one lawsuit.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Jeff
This article is nuts… Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles has had straight men peppered throughout it’s 30-year history. You represent the vision of “chorus leaders. No where in the chorus mission is there discussion of so-called “straight integration…”. GMCLA has always welcomed quality singers regardless of sexual orientation. Mr. Yraola didn’t beg to join… He passed the same rigorous audition that anyone must pass and was ASKED to join GMCLA. Lastly, while GMCLA is quiet capable of “singing sweetly” their range is extraordinary. I suggest you at least SEE a concert, and maybe interview chorus leaders before you attempt to write such an article. Your article falsely represents Mr. Yraola, GMCLA, and GALA Choruses in general.
The worst…
Thanh Minh Phan
Usually I only see this kind of “trolling” in World of Warcraft trade chat. Please, don’t feed the ‘trolls’.
Really
I’m sure there are straight Darren Criss wannabes that want to perform the Glee scene of Teenage Dream – I say go for it!
Cam
This article makes it sound like the straight guy is going to show up wearing a belt and shoes that don’t match and sporting a Mullet. We’ll they won’t.
That is for the Wymmen’s Chorus that performs 2 hours later.
Cam
Wow, so they will screen your comment if you say “Mullet” or you misspell women?
PH
Is a Gay bar still Gay if it allows straight patrons? I hope you realize how silly your article is. It’s time to stop this us versus them mentality.
If you think such distinction is so necessary…perhaps we should have separate water fountains…perhaps we should never get married.
If you want to be accepted, first you have to accept. GMCLA is first and foremost a chorus. It’s a place where quality singers sing together. I applaud these brave straight men for feeling passionate enough about singing that they didn’t care if the group is primarily gay. I applaud them for having enough “balls” to be in a gay group.
Now imagine a world in which straight people have to come out of the closet as straight people! This world would be a different place!
Matt Smith
Is Gay Cities still a Gay site if it also includes straight venues? I don’t know so tell me whats the Gay Cities mission statement?
Roger Rabbit
Ok, This was a Will & Grace episode with Matt Damon playing the straight guy.
TheRealAdam
I don’t agree with it on principle, but discrimination wouldn’t be appropriate.
That being said, straight people need to find their own choruses (or whatever) to be part of. They tend to infest gay areas and organizations and then make a big deal about how straight and accepting and “liberal” they are.
jason
There can be no such thing as a gay chorus or a straight chorus for that matter. Choruses don’t have sexual orientations. If there were, there’d be a dating service for it.
As for the people who constitute a chorus, sure, there are always going to be gay, straight and anyone in-between, just like the rest of society. This is nothing new – it’s always been this way.
What the founders of the “gay chorus” mean is that it is a chorus composed of gay people who get together as a unit to sing songs. It’s basically a social group for men who wish to date each other and sing songs in-between.
PopSmarts
Isn’t this like asking if any other chorus is actually a “straight” chorus? I bet not even the Mormon Tabernacle can guarantee you its ranks haven’t been infiltrated. (A lot, based on what I’ve heard.)
What a stupid fucking question to even ask.
If the chorus has “GAY” as the first word of its name, I think you’re just going to have to trust them on that. And what does it matter anyway, Chris Bull(shit)? You planning to try to blow them all or something?
PopSmarts
And, of course, the ultimate irony is that you were clueless enough to suggest a “straight” chorus will start belting out Judas Priest tunes … Judas Priest, founded by singer Rob Halford, an openly GAY man who wears a shirt with the word “Pig” on it to perform.
I hope you didn’t get paid to write this piece, cause if you did, where do I sign up? Talk about easy money!
Shannon1981
LOL of course its still gay. Gay bars allow straight people in and they are still gay bars. Silly question, Queerty.
Though I gotta admit I like the idea- until the bigotry ends- of strictly gay areas, be they bars, websites, whatever. We need that, due to homophobia. But we can’t just be like ‘no straight people.’ Its like modern day Jim Crow laws based on orientation instead of race.
Yaël
Why did he feel the need to publicly come out as straight?
It’s a slightly facetious question, but I am tired of the meme of “straight man needs to set the record straight.”
No need to rub anyone’s face in your hetero privilege, Chris Y., just sing out, brother!
Marvin
How silly. You can bet the same folks who think this man shouldn’t be allowed in the gay chorus were or would be outraged by the Crystal Cathedral’s demanding its choir members sign a “covenant” containing anti-LGBT language. You’re either against exclusion based on sexual orientation, or you’re not.