Homeless Choir Sings Against Sit/Lie

Singers of the Street continues Bay Area tradition of protest songs

Opponents of Proposition L, a proposed San Francisco initiative known as sit/lie that would criminalize sitting and lying down on public sidewalks, have made their presence felt across the city in a variety of ways, such as posting No on L signs, organizing city marches and promoting online campaigns. But Kathleen McGuire is taking a less conventional stand against the sit/lie motion: She’s started a choir.

Protest songs, after all, need protest singers.

McGuire, a choral conductor who has served as the artistic director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus since 2000, is the founder of Singers of the Street, a new vocal ensemble with both homeless and non-homeless members. McGuire formed the chorus in September to fight Prop L and raise awareness about homelessness in San Francisco, a city with an estimated homeless population of more than 7,000.

Around 15 singers currently participate in the ensemble. “Most cities provide homeless services like food, shelter and rehabilitation programs,” McGuire said, “But what they don’t provide is opportunities for socialization. That’s what a choir can provide.”

This is an example of using your gifts to raise awareness of homelessness. A joyful noise by a band of homeless angels.