Striking a Chord

[February 16th, 2005] Josh Berg just claimed a spot in the Portland Gay Men's Chorus. And he's got his wife, Sara, to thank for it.

His spouse was tired of hearing him talk about the limited opportunities for older choirboys. That's why Sara talked him into trying out for the queer singing group in the first place.

Now this isn't an "open" marriage. Berg's not gay or even bi, but his sexual orientation didn't stop him. "It's OK for a straight man to be active in the gay community," says the 27-year-old computer dude, who is more technosexual than metrosexual.

Berg's story sounds like the role Matt Damon played when he appeared on a 2002 episode of Will & Grace. Damon played Owen, a straight guy competing with Jack (Sean Hayes) for a coveted spot in the Manhattan Gay Men's Chorus. Owen just wanted a chance to sing choral music, which is why he tried to pass himself as gay—until Jack went out of his way to "in" him.

"Oh, interesting," Jack told Owen. "You gave me the straight-guy-double-pat-on-the-back-no-hip-contact hug."

"Actually, it was more the gay-guy-bend-at-the-waist-feel-your-delts-check-out-your-shoes hug," Owen shot back.

Berg hasn't encountered such hetero-phobic hassles. And why should he? This open-minded choir has already hired a straight director (Tomi Douglas is a woman, to boot) so it was just a matter of time before one its members would identify himself as—OH MY GOD!—openly straight.

And not narrow. Especially when it comes to melody.

"I'm a singing slut," Berg says. "I'll sing anything."

For the past 10 years, though, this Baltimore native has pretty much sung the same old tunes in several different choirs. He sees the PGMC as his chance to branch out and sing something other than barbershop-style harmonies or what he calls "Catholic Latin Mass stuff."

"I've been looking for a place to sing interesting music," says Berg, who just joined the choir last month. "[PGMC] has an eclectic mix and is one of the most solid groups I've ever sung with. Even for an amateur like me, that's important. Music is a part of my life. When it's not there, I feel its absence. I get a rush from it."

Although he won't perform at this weekend's classical concert (he'll sing at next month's 25th-anniversary show), Berg plans on being there to support his queer brothers in song, because, ultimately, it goes way beyond singing.

"It was exciting to see last spring's gay marriages, and so disappointing to see our state vote in a measure to ban [them]," Berg says. "I think too often that if you associate with gay men, people think you are also gay. That may be true, but it shouldn't matter. And it shouldn't stop you from doing what's right and helping out in the community."

But what happens if one of his fellow choir mates wants to go to second base with this second bass?

"Frankly, I'm not the hottest hunk of meat on the market," says Berg. "Anyway they see the wedding ring, and they already assume I have a partner. To be honest, I'm just glad to be singing again, and meeting people I might not meet otherwise."