By GALA Expert
December 6, 2023
Posted on: June 4th, 2017 by Kimberly Waters
During the week leading to the OurSong Georgia Tour, I was very excited to be traveling to different cities in Georgia to perform such a powerful concert. I feel that we have a strong, but loving message to share with people who may not understand the importance of being a part of a group that wants equal rights not only for the LGBTQ community, but also rights for everyone.
As we headed to Macon, I began to contemplate the meanings of some of the songs we were about to sing. This concert honors sacrifices people made for one thing; freedom. After arriving in Macon and getting through the pre-concert chaos, our percussionist for the concert began to thank us for coming to his church to perform. My first time meeting him I learned two things. First, he used to be the associate pianist for OurSong (which was a treat that he invited us to perform at his home church). And second, that he was a trans man. I was almost in tears. To see someone who is open and honest with themselves in an area of Georgia that can be harsh on people in the LQBTQ community was truly amazing. I felt honored and that it was my duty as a member of this chorus to continue to fight for what is right. It became reassuring that performing outside the comforts of Atlanta was the right thing to do.
After thunderous applause and many kinds words from the audience, we travelled over to Augusta. Though it was city I’ve never been to, I was looking forward to sharing our gifts with the community. A song that hit my spirit during this concert was “Here’s Where I Stand,” which I sang along with a fellow member of the chorus, Brittany. I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience while singing. I began to think of all the times I didn’t feel good enough to be standing next to someone because of my race, as well as the times people treated me harshly because I spoke my opinion. At that moment, I felt like I could scream to the mountains and say, “This is where I stand, this is who I am.”
It does not matter who you are, what you believe in, or what you identify as, we are all human beings. We should all be treated equally, and we all deserve the same rights and privileges as everyone else. We all need to tell ourselves everyday, “I am not better than anybody else. And I deserve the same rights as everyone else.” It is 2017. We as a society need to keep pushing forward to demand that everyone be treated equally. No matter who calls themselves the President of the United States, we are the citizens of these United States. If we want unity for all, we have to continue to want it and fight for it. Our children and grandchildren-to-come deserve better. The only way things can get better is if we make it better. I will continue to fight for Freedom and speak out when something is wrong in our community and nation. We are OurSong. Here is where we stand, and we are not going anywhere.