Local LGBT leader Robert Burns, executive director of The Colours Organization Inc. , died last week. He was 36.
The cause of death had not been made public at press time, although Burns had been hospitalized for the past few weeks and was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his passing at 4:30 a.m. Dec. 8.
“This is extremely significant for the community,” said Gloria Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs. “We have not lost a sitting director of an AIDS organization in a very long time. He was clearly a mentor to so many young people and worked closely with so many different people in the community so people are really stunned right now. Everyone in the community knew Robert.”
Burns joined Colours as its executive director in 2010, after serving as deputy director and interim executive director.
The Colours board of directors issued a statement last Thursday saying Burns was an “integral part of the development of HIV-prevention programs and research in Philadelphia for LGBT people of color, specifically African-American [men who have sex with men].”
Burns was a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and worked as an STD technician at the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland before becoming coordinator of the Brother2Brother Program at the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.
A resident of Philadelphia since 2003, Burns earned his master’s degree in human services with a concentration in counseling from Lincoln University in 2009.
Before coming to Colours, Burns worked for four years as the director of The Collective, a joint HIV-prevention effort by Mazzoni Center, ASIAC and the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative.
Calvin Austin, a friend of Burns’ from Cleveland, who later worked with him at Mazzoni Center, said Burns’ passion for community work ran deep.
“He had been working in this field for about 15 years,” he said. “He’s always been a caring type of person, always willing to help and do things for others to see them better themselves. This was his way of giving back.”
When Burns took over as director of Colours, the organization had been going through a period of transition, but Casarez said he was prepared to take on any challenges.
“He was focused on getting the organization stabilized and preparing Colours for brighter days. He was really working in the trenches getting the organization back on its feet and bolstering its credibility,” Casarez said. “It would have been exceptionally challenging for any director, much less a first-time director and one of his age. But he knew the challenges he was stepping into and he knew he was coming in under a dark cloud, and it speaks a lot to his character that he did that and shows how important this work was to him. It wasn’t an option for him to sit by because he felt he had a responsibility to lead.”
Mayor Nutter issued a statement marking Burns’ passing in which he called him a “great public-health leader and community advocate” who “served the city as a strong voice on issues of gay men’s health and the impact of HIV/AIDS in the black community.”
Burns was very involved in the House of Blahnik, serving as its executive director from 2005-09, during which time he coordinated the organization’s community-health promotions and academic-advancement initiatives, among other achievements.
He joined the house in 2003 and deejayed for many of the house balls along the East Coast.
“Robert and I worked hand in hand to conceptualize and implement many of Blahnik’s past and current initiatives because we both believed in the value of family and the house/ball community at large,” said Damon Humes, founder and overall father of Blahnik.
Elicia Gonzales, executive director of GALAEI, said Burns’ dual role as legendary DJ and LGBT community leader were effective in connecting young people with the services they needed.
“It’s really wonderful when someone can have such a dynamic impact on both a personal and professional level,” she said. “So many people knew him as DJ Robby Rob and he had such a profound impact on the ballroom community, but he was also able to access so many black gay male youth who otherwise weren’t being reached, in part because he was seen as this legendary character in the ballroom community. So to pair that role with his role as the executive director of an agency that serves black gay men is really dynamic and is something that is going to leave a hole in the community. He was an amazing leader, especially for young black gay men. This community is often stereotyped to have low aspirations but he dispelled that myth and served as a real role model.”
Kevin Trimmel Jones noted that Burns’ aptitude as DJ for the ballroom community was reflective of his overall skill sets.
“He acted as DJ and I think that was symbolic of the type of leader he was,” he said. “He was able to observe the crowd and get them moving, which is something he brought to many different facets of his life.”
House of Blahnik last year lost its house mother, Stacey Blahnik, who was killed in Philadelphia.
“This house has been through a lot in the past year,” Casarez said. “The ripple here is going to be very, very deep. There will certainly be a lot of people who will be affected by this.”
Mark Seaman, director of development and communications at Philadelphia FIGHT, said Burns served Colours and the House of Blahnik “with distinction and cared most profoundly for advancing the health and well-being of LGBT communities of color. He unselfishly and relentlessly dedicated himself to his work, the effects of which will outlive us all.”
Katie Dunphy, director of the Youth Health Empowerment Project, worked closely with Burns on the planning of this year’s Crystal Ball, a house ball event spearheaded by Colours that sought to promote HIV prevention.
Dunphy said Burns’ dedication to the communities he served was evident in even a casual conversation with him.
“His passion for working with LGBTQ people of color was always present in every interaction I had with him, personal or professional,” she said. “He was always talking about sharing HIV-prevention messages in a way that is culturally understood. He was an amazing leader and his advocacy and his presence will be missed by all of us.”
Burns was additionally a founding member of the Black Gay Men’s Leadership Council, a board member at Philadelphia Black Gay Pride and co-chaired the Philadelphia Prevention Planning Group.
Lee Carson, BGMLC president, said Burns was one of the first people he met when he moved to Philadelphia.
“He was one of those people who had a big heart for the LGBT community, in particular black gay men, and he was always a strong advocacy voice,” he said. “When it came to things like funding from the Health Department, he wouldn’t bite his tongue or hold back, but would really be a strong advocate.”
Gonzales also commended Burns’ outspoken nature.
“He was always willing to say what needed to be said. He never shied away from speaking out against any injustice big or small,” she said. “When I was in meetings with him, he would say the things that were on a lot of people’s minds but people were too nervous to say out loud. He would ask the hard questions and challenge people to think about things in ways they hadn’t thought of before or hadn’t wanted to think of. I always admired that about him.”
Carson noted that Burns contributed his deejay skills to many community events and used his graphic-design talents to produce fliers for LGBT events, like the annual Kwanzaa celebration.
Chris Bartlett, executive director of the William Way LGBT Community Center, said Burns was an “irreplaceable” figure in the community.
“Robert’s death hit me very hard,” Bartlett said. “He was a visionary leader who invested in the well-being of LGBT people of color and our broader communities nationwide. The loss of his leadership will have a huge impact.”
While Burns’ community work was invaluable, Carson said he will also remember his friend and colleague for his congenial yet commanding presence.
“One of the things I’ll miss most is his smile. He had a big, beautiful smile and a great sense of humor,” Carson said. “And he was very articulate. He articulated things so well and had such a powerful voice that, when Robert spoke, you listened. People always wanted to hear what he had to say.”
A viewing will be held from 9-10 a.m. Dec. 17 at Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad St., followed immediately by a funeral.
A repast will be held after the service at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].