UNITY RAINBOW LEGACIES | Telling our stories through History, Health and the Arts - ensuring their future, survivability and significance for future generations 

WHY UNITY RAINBOW LEGACIES Project? Along with some political & social gains, the last few decades have resulted in many devastating losses and setbacks for our LGBTQI+ communities. This was most affected by the AIDS epidemic – where many lost 8 out of 10 of their friends, family and loved ones. Hate based laws and regulations, along with social stigma, forced many back into the closet and practically wiped out a whole generation of Talent, Love and History. Our people, their talents, and their stories, were gone or forgotten. Our project helps to restore and give back some of this legacy to help a new generation to find their identity, place and pride. 


In 2015, UC|CU recognized the lack of documented life stories and experiences of Transgender and non-binary individuals. We also realized the need to establish a video archive to tell these important life stories, and thus, the TansLives Video Archives was born. To date, over 100 interviews have been filmed, edited and made available to the public, in various languages. 

In 2021 we expanded our Archives Project to document the lives and experiences of our same gender loving people of color, again out of a lack of visibility and legitimacy within our own communities.

In 2023 
UC|CU established the MIAMI GAY CHORUS, based on the decades proud Legacy of the past, with a new focus on Diversity, Collaborations, and incorporating all types of Arts that showcase the LGBTQI+ Talents & History.

The stories of people’s lives, loves, hopes, fears, challenges, creativity, artistry, survival and perseverance - are paramount to our communities future, well-being, pride and history. UNITY RAINBOW LEGACIES brings together our community and tells our stories through History, Health and the Arts, ensuring their future, survivability and significance for future generations. 

Fran Lebowitz on collateral damage of the Aids epidemic
An audience with a high level of connoisseurship is as important to the culture as artists

The Day It Snowed In Miami (2014)
LGBTQ+ Leadership and the stores of our community

Life Before the Lifeboat
San Francisco's Courageous Response to the AIDS Outbreak

THE MIAMI GAY CHORUS IS PART OF UNITY COALITION|COALICIÓN UNIDA 

ENTERING A NEW ERA, A NEW FOCUS, & THE LAUNCH OF UC ARTS COALITION     

Miami, Florida…October, 2022 -  In the fall of 1978, Jon Reed Sims founded the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. T his was a way to bring more music to the local Gay Freedom Day Parade, and to share the love o f music, brotherhood, and entertaining, and try to deal with the unimaginable health crisis now known as AIDS.  This gave birth to a worldwide LGBTQ choral phenomenon that now boasts h undreds of choruses around the globe. 

Established in 1999, the Miami Gay (Men's) Chorus has been bringing entertainment to the South Florida  community, inspiring and changing lives through the power of music and community building. But like many  cultural institutions, it has struggled with a dwindling membership, ticket sales, management, and staying relevant in an ever-changing community. Dealing with the real possibility of closing, and stopping the decades of music, the chorus has unanimously accepted close its doors for good. 

UNITY COALITION|COALICIÓN UNIDA (UC|CU) the organization for the Latinx|Hispanic & Indigenous LGBTQ community, advancing Equality & Fairness, through Education, Leadership and Awareness, since 2002, with programming in Miami and Bogotá, “UC|CU was a big supporter of the former chorus and the arts, for years.” said director Herb Sosa. “We believe in its mission, legacy, and membership, and by creating a New Chorus, hope to help keep the chorus’s talents and intent, alive and thriving for decades to come” added Sosa. 


EVERY PENNY.



Our work is 100% funded by events, private donations, private, corporate and government grants, and we are 100%
staffed and managed by professional volunteers.

Everything that comes in, goes right back out for Programming, Community Building, Leading & Assisting our LGBTQ community.



GIVE WITH CONFIDENCE... UC|CU has been awarded the
2023 PLATINUM Seal of Approval for FUNDING by GUIDESTAR!

GuideStar is the world's largest source of information
on nonprofit organizations.

Our Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Number is 078399525.


UC|CU & Celebrate ORGULLO BOARD OF DIRECTORS | JUNTA DE DIRECTORES

HERB SOSA

Director & CEO

JOHN BUCKLEY

Vice President

MELBA DeLEON

Director

GEORGE CORONADO

Director

JOEL IGLESIA

Director

ERICK ASTORGA

Director

SARAY LUNA

Director, UC|CU Colombia

unitycoalition.org

coalicionunida.org