In this case, the ACLU represented the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles in their lawsuit against the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). The Gay Men's Chorus challenged ACDA's decision to require the Chorus to remove the word "gay" from their name as a condition of their performance at ACDA's Western Division Convention in San Jose. GMCLA had been an active, dues-paying institutional member of ACDA, and would also be paying to attend the convention. Additionally, they had been chosen to perform via a "blind" audition tape, in which the name of the organization auditioning to perform was withheld from the reviewers. ACDA stated that its purpose in excising the word "gay" was to "avoid entanglement in issues relating to political, social, sexual or religious preference that are controversial and/or personal in nature."

GMCLA sought an injunction allowing them to perform at the convention and to keep the word "gay" in their name. They also sought to have the actions of ACDA declared unlawful, and pursued damages as well as attorney's fees. They were successful, and, as a result, were ACDA's Executive Committee "agreed to recommend and support at its next Board of Directors meeting the adoption of a nation-wide policy which would permit gay and lesbian groups to perform at ACDA functions using their full name."