San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Hosts 5th Annual 'DRAGATHON' Tonight

San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) and the SFGMC Divas present the 5th Annual "Dragathon" event tonight, May 14, 2016 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Café (2369 Market St., San Francisco), raising much-needed funds for the SFGMC Financial Assistance Network (FAN). Admission is free.

"Five years ago, the idea of Dragathon was born at a Chorus member's birthday party," says SFGMC Divas leader, Richie Perez. "The Divas banded together to figure out how we could turn it around to benefit the Chorus. Our inaugural event launched in 2011, and it has grown in both size and funds raised every year!"

This year's Dragathon theme comes from Jennie Livingston's legendary 1990 documentary "Paris Is Burning," which focused on ball culture in New York City in the mid-to-late 1980s. The film looks at the LGBT experience (with a focus on African-American and Latino communities) through a multitude of lenses - race, class, sexuality, gender and performance - and has been critically acclaimed since its release for its humanity and candor. The film is a vital chapter in LGBT history.

Perez writes, "We wanted to take Dragathon up a notch this year. We're enamored with our drag originators and predecessors that we wanted to pay homage to them - but with a San Francisco twist!"

Dragathon is a five-week crowd-funding campaign where individuals compete for the title of Ms. Dragathon 2016 - and, in the spirit of "Paris is Burning" - join houses that collectively raise money for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus' Financial Assistance Network. Since Dragathon's inception, the SFGMC Divas have raised over $102,000 for the Chorus' FAN network. For more information, visit www.sfgmc.org.

For nearly 40 years, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus has courageously served as the international standard bearer for a powerful and accomplished mix of high-caliber performance, human rights, community activism, empowerment and inclusiveness, establishing it as an icon among LGBT organizations. Founded in 1978, it was the first organization of its kind and is credited with starting the LGBT choral movement, galvanizing and changing the course of LGBT history. It continues to rally and inspire other arts-based community organizations around the world. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig, SFGMC has in recent seasons established a heightened level of performance standards receiving audience and choral acclaim, increased its touring and recording profile and broadened its impact and reputation in the community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and high-voltage performances. For more information, visit www.sfgmc.org and @sfgmc (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram).

Photo Credit: Gareth Gooch