2SLGBTQ+ choir creates inclusive space

In the heart of Regina, a vibrant community is coming together every week to find their voice, build connections, and make music. The PRISM Choir creates a safe space for Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) members to express themselves freely, embrace their identities, and create harmony — both in music and in the community.

The non-auditioned choir, led by music educator Brendan Dickie, is a low-pressure group where members sing the parts they feel fit them best, regardless of how they present or identify. Dickie founded the PRISM adult choir and a PRISM youth choir after noticing a need among Queer students in public schools for a more inclusive space to sing. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the two choirs merged into one group. Today, the choir has 25 members, ranging in age from 15 to 60, mostly from Regina, with one member commuting from Wolseley.

“It’s a very community-oriented choir because members can go wherever they fit best according to them. They’re not stuck in a role based on who they are or what they look like,” Dickie says. “I might have a bass that’s singing an octave higher because that’s where it fits in their vocal range, if that’s the group they’re identifying with.”

Tionna Ackerman joined the choir in the fall of 2024 after watching a PRISM concert in 2023. The welcoming atmosphere and the fact that the audience was invited to sing along made her want to join. As a member, she has appreciated that her sexual identity does not matter in the group, which is a type of acceptance she has not felt in other Queer spaces.

“Since joining the choir, I haven’t even been asked how I identify,” Ackerman says. “It’s just ‘be there, be welcome, be accepted.’ You don’t have to have that conversation unless you want to have that conversation.”

The choir’s repertoire often celebrates Queer lives and stories. PRISM’s last spring concert, titled “Stories of Pride”, focused on the story of Matthew Shepard, whose death in 1998 brought about needed change to hate crime legislation in the U.S.

“I think it’s important even for us, as 2SLGBTQ+ community members, to make sure that we know our history and can celebrate some of the wins that we’ve had,” says Dickie. “It’s nice to have something like that to look forward to and share together.”

Ackerman says that the choir is its own little family. PRISM’s concert in December at F.W. Johnson Collegiate in Regina was on the theme of growing old and community. Members brought baking to share, artists sold crafts and small children danced to the music.

“Almost every single seat was filled. It was lovely to see the whole room full of people who are there to support their loved ones and just be in a comfortable, safe environment. That was really awesome.”

The choir recently decided to accept nonQueer community members, but Dickie stresses that joining the choir isn’t a “ticket to allyship” but rather a way to meet people, support them and learn. “It’s a good place to just come and hang out, where you’re not really expected to be perfect at anything,” he laughs.

The PRISM Choir’s “Stories of Pride” concert received support from SaskCulture’s Small Grant Accessibility Program, funded by the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.