Episode 19: Gay American Indian Activist Randy Burns

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Randy Burns arrived in San Francisco from Nevada in 1974. He was here to go to SF State, but he soon connected with out gay and lesbian American Indians, with whom he would go on to found the organization Gay American Indians.

In Part 1, Randy talks about founding the group, and how the AIDS epidemic affected them in the mid-1980s.

In Part 2, Randy tells us about trips he took to DC and New York in the '80s and '90s to raise awareness to LGBT issues. He ends with the story of his trip from the East Coast back to San Francisco.

For a little more info on some things Randy talks about in the episode:

Bowers v. Hardwick

1987 March on Washington

1993 March on Washington

Stonewall

We recorded this podcast at Emperor Norton's Boozeland in February 2018.