Gender Inclusivity in the ANNA Crusis Feminist Choir

The Philadelphia-based ANNA Crusis Feminist Choir wove social justice issues into its original mission. With its start coinciding with the social revolutions of the 1970s, the choir performs works by and about women and became the first and longest-running feminist choir in the nation. However, recent social movements prompted the choir to question its internal structures to become more gender inclusive. The choir contended with the meaning of feminism and whether to broaden its conception of gender to include transgender and nonbinary singers. Through a multi-year process, the choir reworked its organizational structure to include a committee on gender inclusion, changed its name and dress code, and sought educational initiatives to address generational differences around the concept of feminism. This study examines the choir’s internal work toward gender inclusion and invites readers to weigh decisions around vocal parts due to the choir’s new inclusive practices and consider
whether such decisions depart from the original mission of the choir. The case concludes by asking readers to establish a long-term plan that keeps the choir focused on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.