ORIGINS OF LOVE: Celebrating Trans Day of Visibility

The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus (NYCGMC)—the world-renowned ensemble and pioneering voice for the LGBTQ community—returns to perform live from the Great Hall at The Cooper Union in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility. This powerful concert features heartful performances and inspiring narratives that celebrate self-love, visibility, and acceptance and uplifts trans and non-binary voices. The iconic Mx Justin Vivian Bond gives a special guest star performance. ORIGINS OF LOVE is a free concert that is part of The Cooper Union’s Gardiner Foundation Great Hall Forum series.

Registration on EventBrite is required. However, an EventBrite ticket does not guarantee entry as this is a first-come-first-served free event.

The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus (NYCGMC), which was founded in 1980 and held their debut holiday concert that year in The Cooper Union’s Great Hall, is composed of more than 260 talented singers of various ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Together, the NYCGMC produces a vibrant sound and energy that audiences feel and connect with. Through the power of this sound and spectacular performances, the NYCGMC is a fearless champion for love, equality, and acceptance. NYCGMC sings in every style from classical to pop, Broadway to gospel, and from cultures all over the world. Over the years, NYCGMC has performed with an amazing array of artists including: Barbara Cook, Elaine Stritch, Joan Rivers, Stephen Sondheim, Kelli O'Hara, Sia, Alan Cumming, and the New York Philharmonic—to name just a few. NYCGMC is a full member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, Inc. (GALA), the world’s only association committed to serving the LGBTQ choral movement.

Mx Justin Vivian Bond has been at the forefront of trans visibility and activism since the early 1990s. They have appeared on stage (Broadway and Off-Broadway, London’s West End), screen (movies such as Shortbus and television such as High Maintenance and The Get Down), nightclubs (most notably a decades long residency at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater), and in concert halls worldwide (Carnegie Hall, The Sydney Opera House). Their visual art and installations have been seen in museums and galleries (The Cooper Union and The New Museum among others). Their memoir Tango: My Childhood Backwards and in High Heels won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction. They are the recipient of multiple awards and grants including an Obie, a Bessie, and most recently a 2024 MacArthur Fellowship. Mx Bond has self-released several full-length recordings and has toured the world as one half of the legendary punk cabaret duo Kiki & Herb. They have a master’s degree in live art from Central Saint Martins College in London and have taught performance composition and live art installation at New York University and Bard College.

Host or Publisher Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art