Tuckahoe NY Pride

Randy Burns is a gay indigenous activist from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. His whose work bridged community, education, and public advocacy. He co-founded the Gay America Indians (GAI) in 1975, the first LGBTQ+ group for First Nation people. The group was originally founded in San Francisco to fight racial discrimination from the gay community; they were excluded from bars in the Castro. GAI expanded into AIDS activism, as well as issues facing Indigenous People such as land rights. His group urged institutions to listen to Indigenous voices. GAI also helped popularize the usage of the Two Spirit identity, in which an individual can possess traditionally male and female characteristics.

Quote: “Visibility is our essence.”