The NYC Pride March is the largest gay pride event in North America. This year it featured over 75,000 marchers and over 2 million spectators. 230 members of the Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band performed along the 1.9 mile route. We had 26 saxophones, 21 flutes and piccolos, 25 trumpets, a drum line of 32 and many more. We looked good and we sounded great!

In 2022, the band’s name was changed from the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps to the Queer Big Apple Corps to better reflect the membership and the community and make clear that all members of our community are welcome. The new name continues the revolution as we welcome more people into the band and play for larger, more diverse crowds. It also makes a clear statement that we welcome people of every gender, orientation, race, age, and identity. We want every musician and every audience member to know there is room for them under our queer umbrella.

In 2022 the QBAC was the first LGBTQIA+ identified band to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, we performed at WorldPride in Washington, DC, Rhode Island Pride in Providence, Museum Mile and the NYC Marathon here in NYC, the Brooklyn Half Marathon and the US Open in Queens.

For two decades, Marita Begley has led the Big Apple Corps in events throughout New York City and the East Coast. Under her direction, the band has tripled in size, attracted corporate sponsorship and quadrupled its donor base. Marita says: “With our pop repertoire and splashy choreography, the band is a hit with parade organizers (and audiences) everywhere.”

Steve McLure, woodwinds, has performed with the Paul Winter Consort, The Russian Circus, Lena Horne, Joan Sutherland, The Queens Symphony, the US Army Band and the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra. He has also worked as an art director and digital designer. Steve first joined Local 802 in 1977.

Opinion pieces in Allegro, including MEMBER TO MEMBER, do not necessarily represent the views of Local 802 officers, staff or members. To submit something for consideration, send an e-mail to allegro@local802afm.org.