RJD hosts third annual Pride event

August 8, 2024

Unique and White, two incarcerated artists at RJD, created this colorful Pride Inside piece.

Commemorating its third annual Pride event in June, RJ Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) in San Diego offered multiple activities.

Dr. Sonia Bahro and mental health leadership have made it their mission to develop quality programming for RJD’s LGBTQ residents.

Research in behavioral science has shown incarceration rates for LGBTQ people are three times higher compared to the general population. The purpose of RJD Pride is to offer residents a supportive and affirming event within a traditionally non-affirming system.

Why recognize Pride?

Pride events are celebrated across the world each June, commemorating the first mass LGBTQ demonstrations in New York City.

They were frequently marginalized and targeted by law enforcement, subject to arrest and discrimination on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity.

Following these demonstrations, the LGBTQ community continued to commemorate this event each year. Pride events promote the self-affirmation, dignity, and equality of LGBTQ people.

RJD event builds on past success

Pride artwork inside RJD Correctional Facility. — Pride-themed artwork at RJD.

This year’s event built upon the success of past events. The program schedule included a range of activities starting with a screening of “A State of Pride,” a documentary exploring the role of Pride in rural, suburban, and urban communities while highlighting the relevance of Pride events today.

Mental health doctors at RJD Correctional Facility. — Mental health staff include doctors Lafler, Kauffman, Slimowicz, and Bahro.

A drag performance was provided and supported by San Diego Pride, the non-profit responsible for the annual large-scale major Pride event in San Diego every July.

Drag has historically been associated with the LGBTQ community, with competitions dating back to 1867 in Harlem, New York.

The intent of drag within the LGBTQ community has been to provide artistic expression while creating a place of creativity and gender expression.

This year’s RJD events concluded with a performance of a script written by an RJD resident and performed by San Diego Playwrights, a non-profit group promoting the arts to marginalized communities.

The play offered insights and discussions of the complexities of sexual orientation and gender identity within a correctional environment.

Speaker presentations were also provided by Dr. Sklyer Morgan of Cal State, Long Beach, who explored the role of “chosen family” within the LGBTQ community.

RJD’s Pride events have continued to expand, garnering strong interest from community partners. Each year is a learning experience on program improvement and implementation of programming tailored to the needs to CDCR population.

Submitted by Joseph Slimowicz, Psy.D.
Senior Psychologist, Specialist