The Queer History of Bay Area Radio | Out on the Air
Date and Time
- Wednesday, Jul 15, 2026 7pm - 8:30pm
Location
KALW
220 Montgomery St
Details
Join KALW & the GLBT Historical Society for a journey through the queer history of Bay Area broadcasting with the voices who were there. Hear the voices that documented, shaped, and celebrated queer life in the Bay Area, from Stonewall through the AIDS crisis:
- Randy Alfred - The Gay Life
- Chana Wilson - Lesbian Free Radio
- Eric Jansen - Out in the Bay
- David Boyer - Queer Power Hour
Through audio excerpts and live conversation, they'll reflect on how queer people used radio to find one another, document their communities, challenge mainstream narratives, and create a public record of lives too often left out of history.
About Out on the Air
Out on the Air celebrates Revisiting The Gay Life, a new documentary series from KALW's Queer Power Hour. Produced in collaboration with the GLBT Historical Society and Randy Alfred, the series revisits The Gay Life, the groundbreaking program that aired on KSAN from 1977 to 1984 and became the first regularly scheduled LGBTQ-focused show on commercial radio in the United States.
We'll hear stories from the city's gay underground of the 1950s, the origins of the Imperial Court, conversations with influential queer writers, and voices from LGBTQ activists, judges, filmmakers, and leaders. The recordings also capture some of the earliest radio reporting on the mysterious illness that would later become known as AIDS.
Please note:
- The event space is just to the left of the main entrance to the Mills Building at 220 Montgomery Street
- We recommend taking BART/MUNI, exiting at Montgomery, and walking two blocks north
- Ride-shares can drop off and pick up directly in front of the venue
- If you drive, there are several garages within two blocks of the event location
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