Founded by Jon Reed Sims in 1978 in response to Anita Bryant‘s anti-gay campaign in the late 1970s, the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps was the first openly-gay musical group in the world. Sims went on to create the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, and numerous other ensembles, while the Marching Band and Twirling Corps evolved into the celebratory San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. Marking the ensemble’s 40^th anniversary, this concert features almost a century of American music. Highlighting the ensemble’s musical versatility, the program includes jazz and swing standards, contemporary pop songs, and tunes from modern musicals.