Celebrating the legacy of Jon Reed Sims, originator associated with homosexual mens chorus

Jon Reed Sims was created in Smith Center, Kansas, in might 1947. As he passed away, in July 1984, it made news in bay area.

A newspaper here showed Dianne that is then-Mayor Feinstein Sims an integral towards the town. The caption stated he had been “a favorite” regarding the girl who is now A u.s. that is long-serving senator.

“He Spawned a World of Music; Jon Sims is Dead at Age 37,” browse the headline.

Sims ended up being one of several very very early casualties of AIDS. But before he passed away much too young, he created a thing that lives on — loudly, joyfully and powerfully.

Jon Reed Sims’ death in 1984 made news in bay area.

In 1978, Sims founded the san francisco bay area Gay Men’s Chorus plus the bay area Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, igniting a worldwide cultural trend: these day there are homosexual men’s choruses and bands across the world, including in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Northern Ohio.

A few years back, curious about more about this son of Smith Center who’s revered in san francisco bay area but forgotten in Kansas, we monitored down their sibling, Judith Sims Billings, who lives in Nebraska. She delivered me personally a history she’d written when it comes to san francisco bay area Bay instances, a newspaper that is gay.

Sims came to be for a farm near Lebanon while the family members later moved to a farm nearer to Smith Center. Jon began piano that is taking when he had been 6, and known as their 4-H livestock after composers.

“Jon was kind and considerate of everybody and constantly talked to and aided these older women he’d met through our grandmothers,” Billings recalled. “This ended up being the exact same generation of females whom taught him to knit and crochet as he was at grade school.”

Sims started college at Fort Hays State University, then utilized in Wichita State University to review French horn and structure.

“He ended up being a tremendously flamboyant drum principal at both universities,” Billings had written.

Her bro went on to grad college at Indiana University, then taught junior high music in Chicago before going to san francisco bay area.

“It was an occasion of Anita Bryant and prejudice that is much the community,” she wrote. “Jon told me personally he wasn’t thinking about making a governmental declaration — he simply desired to get individuals together to own enjoyable making music.”

Sims didn’t emerge towards the household until after their mom passed away in 1975, Billings published: “We aren’t certain that she knew, but mom constantly stated, ‘Jon marches to some other drummer.’ ”

Billings stated her family members had been constantly pleased with Sims, “but none of us knew the effect he will have. We carry on being astonished and proud regarding the effect of their eyesight.”

It’s hard to give some thought to Sims without considering another gay Kansan whom made a mark that is indelible the whole world. Gilbert Baker, whom designed the rainbow banner, came to be in Chanute and spent my youth in Parsons. The hell was got by him out when he could. In modern times, their classmates into the Parsons High course class of 1969 been employed by to memorialize their legacy.

We took a Pride Month drive out to Smith Center, where in actuality the girl whom responded the device in the school that is high some body whoever dad graduated with Sims when you look at the course of 1965.

Mike Isom spent their job being history instructor and guidance therapist in nearby Kensington.

Jon Reed Sims’ senior photo when you look at the 1965 Smith Center Centrian. (C.J. Janovy/Kansas Reflector)

Searching through old annuals, Isom stated every photo associated with the young handsome Sims within the 1965 Centrian: Sims within the musical organization, the chorus, the boys’ octet, the glee club, the horn trio, the ensemble that is mixed the all-school play, the yearbook staff, the nationwide honor culture, the solution businesses.

“He had been accepted,” Isom stated of Sims.

Though they went in numerous crowds, Isom described Sims as delighted and carefree, remembering exactly how, one evening, 14 individuals crammed into Sims’ big car — “I think it had been a 1949 Plymouth or something like this that way article source,” Isom said — to find yourself in the drive-in film on buck evening.

“There may have been other individuals who thought he could be— that is gay could use that term now, however in those days we’dn’t utilize it,” Isom said, noting that the definitions of terms had changed through the years. “And we simply thought it absolutely was strange he liked to hold across the girls. But he had been musically inclined.”

In line with the “prophesies” students penned to assume their futures, Sims ended up being self-aware adequate in order to make bull crap by what their future held:

Pupils at Smith Center twelfth grade composed “Prophecies” about their future when it comes to 1965 yearly, The Centrian. Jon Reed Sims seemed to produce a joke that is self-aware. (C.J. Janovy/Kansas Reflector)

Isom didn’t keep in mind exactly just how he found out about Sims’ founding associated with homosexual men’s chorus.

“ we was thinking that has been an achievement,” he said. “And I experienced heard which he had been kind of big into the motion on the market.”

Isom stated he didn’t understand how much help there’d be for a plaque or other types of memorial to Sims.

“i might assume that when individuals knew their achievements, they could be ready to do that,” he said. “And additionally, you will find people who will be totally against — you understand exactly just exactly what I’m saying?”

He had been stating that this section of Kansas is mighty conservative.

But LGBTQ people do reside in Smith Center, exactly like we reside everywhere. Knowing they’re in a spot that produced an individual who made this type of great share to our tradition might brighten their globe a little.

Besides, there already is just a memorial to Sims. It’s a headstone during the Fairview Cemetery, alongside their mom Marie Belle and their daddy Delmar, whom passed away in 1980.

From the hot afternoon I paid my respects, the only real noises had been the wind and a few lonesome meadowlarks. It felt too peaceful a resting place for somebody who spent his life making big, stunning music.

But perhaps it is peaceful sufficient for Jon Reed Sims’ character to hear most of the sounds that are joyful delivered to life, still reverberating call at the whole world.