Christopher Verdugo, who has led the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus for 10 years, will step down from his role as CEO on June 30, 2026. His departure marks the conclusion of a transformative era for the nation’s first and oldest openly gay chorus.

A senior State Department bureaucrat, who once spoke at a 2016 Atlantic Council event about empowering “LGBTI activists” worldwide, remains in a leadership position under President Donald Trump. This continuity raises questions about how personal advocacy carries over through changing administrations.