SAN FRANCISCO -- After a week in Northern California for San Francisco Pride and the 17th Annual International Two-Spirit Gathering, the Directors of NativeOUT of Phoenix, Arizona have returned refreshed, refocused, and inspired.

The 35th anniversary of San Francisco Pride was especially significant for Native American GLBTs, as it was a year of many firsts. This year, Randy Burns was the first Native American Grand Marshal in the history of the San Francisco Pride Parade. Randy Burns, a Paiute Indian, founded Gay American Indians (GAI), with the late Barbara Cameron, 30 years ago. The organization served the Native American lesbian and gay community in the San Francisco bay area. Since the formation of GAI, Randy has been a dedicated member of the national GLBT Native American community.

Another historical first was the largest ever Two-Spirit contingent, with approximately 70 participants, in the San Francisco Pride Parade. Two-Spirit, is a modern English-language term used by many Native American GLBTs to describe the dynamic balance of masculine and feminine energies within them.

Following the pride parade, the Two-Spirit contingent stood on the main stage and gave the invocation for the San Francisco Pride Festival with a welcome from Randy Burns, a prayer and song from L. Frank (Ohlone), and a blessing from spiritual leader Ron Pinkham (Nez Perce). After the invocation, the Two-Spirit contingent gathered in the Two-Spirit Nations gathering space in the center of the festival for Indian Tacos and Native GLBT artist presentations.

Many Native American GLBTs (Two-Spirits) expressed their gratitude for receiving these honors, recognizing their efforts to build bridges between GLBT and Native American communities. Nearly 100 members of various Two-Spirit Societies and other organizations from the U.S. and Canada traveled to the Bay Area to celebrate in San Francisco Pride and the 17th Annual International Two-Spirit Gathering.

The Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits (BAAIT-S) organized and hosted the 17th Annual International Two Spirit Gathering near Gurneville, CA. This Five day event directly following San Francisco Pride and was a time of healing, learning, and sharing for GLBT Native Americans, a tradition that draws new attendees every year. "We appreciate the chance to share our ceremonies and traditions with our friends in the Bay area. These gatherings are not only a time of learning for us but also a way to reconnect with friends and family," said Corey Taber, one of two Directors of NativeOUT.

This year's gathering was especially important to the Directors of NativeOUT, as neither had attended the International gathering before. “Prior to 2004, Arizona was without a Native GLBT organization. It was due to gatherings like this that our organization came to be. These gatherings are vital to the further development of current and future Native GLBT organizations because they encourage and motivate Two-Spirits who wish to improve their communities,” said Louva Hartwell, the other Director of NativeOUT. Such events are very important to the GLBT Native American communities at large because they provide the leaders, in their respective locations, with new tools and new information relevant to the goal of organizing Two-Spirit people in a productive and healthy way.

This trip was made possible by the fundraising efforts of NativeOUT and Salon Exodus at Phoenix Pride 2005. In the future, NativeOUT will send more members to such gatherings and will continue fundraising efforts to that end. NativeOUT sends a sincere thank you to the members of BAAIT-S for their generous hospitality and hard work to make the San Francisco Pride and International Two-Spirit Gathering a marvelous success. “Their achievements are model of what we hope to aspire to and motivational to us all,” said Louva Hartwell.

NOTE: Native American GLBT, Native GLBT, and Two-Spirit were used interchangeably in this article because they all refer to the same group of people; Native American Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgenders. San Francisco Pride took place June 24-25, 2005 and the 17th Annual International Two-Spirit Gathering took place June 27-July 1, 2005. NativeOUT is a Native American GLBT group whose mission is to build bridges between the Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, and Transgender and Native American communities by educating society about their traditions, advocating for relevant issues, and promoting visibility within their community. NativeOUT, like other Two-Spirit organizations across the country, believe in balance so they elected both a female (Louva) and a male (Corey) Director to equally lead the organization.