Nov. 17, 2021

Homophobia @ San Quentin

From The Sound Mind by Floyd Smith (author's profile)

Transcription

Homophobia @ San Quentin - 1 of 9

[Graphic art print - an undiscernible image is layered on top of itself many times, each time getting smaller. Text over the image reads "sound mind streamer"]

The Value Of The Closet - 2 of 9

10/21/21

Just in from a meeting with Jewish Rabbi Paul Shleffar and Community Resource Manager Madeline Tenny.

Our LGBTQIA+ Spirituality Group has been ended, due to us not being a Department established Religious/Spirituality program based on curriculum, and outside organization support, from 2018 thru 2021?

I was given the enclosed:

"RELIGIOUS Congregate Service Request CDCR 3067(09/21) form, to fill out in the event we find some organization to volunteer to come into San Quentin and hold sessions.

I was also told that I could become a participant in the Mental Health Program to receive services, and also sign up for the regular religious services already provided, and that S.Q. is only slowly re-opening established programs pre-COVID-19, a song and dance well rehearsed, yet soooooo full of shit. (See Liberated Facts i4)

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Is the the view of the Religious Department that our growing relationship with the SQTV Media Center Specialist Skylar Brown, is sufficient enough to satisfy my needs.

So we went from having group and no Sound Mind Streamer, to having Sound Mind Streamer and no group.

I'm glad I posted "Liberated Facts i4" before todays meeting, as proof that this experience is not an embellishment.

Option #1. Sit in this?
Option #2. Become a participant in Mental Health program, that has no gay affirming program
Option #3. Fill out the enclosed form, knowing there is no Gay God Organization, not one observance, no history, no religious description of principles, no items or artifacts, no religious text, no location headquarters, no religious leader, no contact information
Option #4. Join the Church of Satan
Option #5. File lawsuit
Option #6. Create my own religion

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If I continue naming options, this post will turn into something else.

On the way back from the meeting, I passed a few, well, 4 people that requested to attend our group, and with great sadness, I yelled at each of them that our group has been cancelled indefinitely.

For the lack of our own LGBTQIA+ Community for not having a place to land, we enter 2021-22 being handed a form to fill out, by prison administrators that know can not be filled out, "it's the only was I can help you" said Madeline Tenny.

Jewish Rabbi Paul Shleffar, has a very wicket soul that was impossible to conceal in the meeting, this was His mission from day one.

It will take a very publicised lawsuit, and media presence of the level of homophobia in CDCR, organizing of protest groups, who actually care about the Gay Incarcerated Community.

The Value of the Closet.
(view form on next page)

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[State of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Religious Congregate Service Request Form]

Original Proposal 2018 - 6 of 9
Sound Mind (Program Development Proposal)

The visions: (ethnographic/urban LGBTQ perspective)
a) To create an innerprison streamer of music, movies, documentaries, sporting events, and ethnographic visual content for the engagement of, and for, the spiritual uplift, for the influx of a younger demographic of the condemned population. URBAN LGBTQ.
b) The Sound Mind Streamer is the first ever innerprison content broadcast generated through the San Quentin Prison Media Center cable TV line that is generated from condemned population.
c) The Sound Mind Streamer is also produced and programmed by the first ever LGBTQ spirituality group on condemned row, citing an equal opportunity to participate in spiritual programs within the prison, free from sexual discrimination.

The Program:
The Sound Mind Streamer is an in-cell program where any and every inmate at San Quentin State prison can participate by turning their TVs to the designated channel, so that no inmate is denied access to programming.
This program is a paradigm shift from LGBTQ inmates either not having programs and/or being forced to participate in other programs on a "tolerated" basis, or a proselytizing agenda for future conversion into groups that view LGBTQ experiences as "an ABOMINATION", "INFIDELS", and other social subculture demeaning labels existing antithetical to LGBTQ nature.

Production Team:
This is not a group setting for people to sit around and talk about how gay they are or to solicit empathy.

The Sound Mind Streamer production team is made up of a cross section of the condemned population to collect related content, building timelines for the presentation of content:
1. LGBTQ persons
2. PFLags, Friends, and parents of
3. Straight allies of

The team's primary function is to provide content that generates dialogue beyond eight people sitting in a group room hidden from the very prison population that requires clarity. This model is "service provided based," specifically for the "crowded closet" community who won't participate in a group setting of old program models.
We don't say "closet," we say: "Private Expression Community".

Sound Mind
Researchable facts conclude that San Quentin State Prison has been designated for the housing and programming of LGBTQ inmates, yet they are the most underserved in program opportunities designed for LGBTQ perspectives, awareness, education, and information on the prison's general population mainline. It is totally non-existent for the condemned population.
The Sound Mind Streamers in-cell program provided engagement programming without LGBTQ inmates being spit on, beat up, jumped, having urine tossed on them, and/or systematic ostracisms within the institution.
An inmate is likely not going to commit suicide, or fails to commit suicide, during active relative program engagements, as the Sound Mind Streamer is a 24-hour-a day in-cell program accessible to all inmates by simply turning on their TVs. Especially the younger "all-night program" inmates.

The Content:
(music appreciation, creative writing therapy)
The primary content is TYPE BEATS instrumental music. This urban perspective music induces creative writing of letters, short stories, raps, song lyrics, etc.
The sonic stylings are generated from the spiritual sources of constructive behavior of innercity youth, even more so for inmates who draw, paint, do beadwork. The expanded arts and crafts that require an artistic focus music backdrop.
This music also provides the soundscape for urban and ethnic dancers within the prison population, where bodies in motion from exercise and dance become meditative, creative, and promotes a new return to constructive attributes of persons. (innercity youth)
When inmates know that other inmates are also tuned into the Sound Mind, it becomes a social environment where no one person feels alone, with a low spirit.
To supplement music appreciation therapy, The Sound Mind Streamer will also feature morale building, educational and informational movies, documentaries, and other ethnic urban perspective visual images of:
a) prominent LGBTQ community leaders (ancient and modern)
b) screen savers and wallpaper visuals (relative content, nothing lewd)

ZERO COST TO THE STATE:
The free user content is sourced as an open invitational for content donors.
This method ensures that not even the Inmate Welfare Institution Fund will be tapped for funding.
The Sound Mind Streamer drags the oldest California prison into the future for presentation of content and programming, specifically for the constructive engagement for a new generation of a condemned population.

Plan of Action
1. Pitch Sound Mind to interested condemned inmates, an almost impossible feat due to the multiple separate exercise yard groups and housing locations.
2. Pitch Sound Mind to prison officials, including the religious department, mental health department, education department, and the media center.
3. Pitch Sound Mind to perspective content donors.
4. Create condemned LGBTQ spirituality group to produce and present the launch of The Sound Mind Streamer into active continuous play/timeline programming on a SQTV media center channel.
5. Launch The Sound Mind Streamer.

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[handwritten comment that reads: For Clarity of Purpose]

The primary focus for the supplementary movies, educational, and informational documentaries and short films is two-pronged.
1. To provide viewers with liberated factual content that reflects the constructive development, evolution, and presence of inspirational LGBTQ urban perspectives/experiences from around the world.
2. To lift the spirits of and boost the morale of LGBTQ incarcerated Americans and all Sound Mind viewers who are contemplatively reality driven to expect better quality form self. Knowing that The Sound Mind Streamer is a special engagement environment specifically designed for them, open, closeted, allies, and the interested, self-contained with ZERO COST to the state.

[dictionary definitions provided for the words innovate, innovation, innovative, innovator, and recreation]
[handwritten comments]
By definition, I wrote this proposal with intent so to not require outside help for an inside service. Self Help
We can [?] as a FREE APP on the GTL Tablet Program, and from reading the GTL informational packet, this requires an inside job as well. We already have everything we need to make this a reality, with your help!
"The Sound Mind Company @ Condemned Row - Lead By Creation"

Sound Mind Company - 8 of 9
Cancelled Oct 21, 2021

Ducat as - Sound Mind Company
Unit P.A. System announce as - Sound Mind Company
Location - Hospital Group Rm

The Primary Title of Group is Sound Mind Company
The Subtitle of Sound Mind Company is Condemned LGBTQIA+ Spirituality Group

[Table listing participants, cell number and race]
1. C. Cheary, 1EY#47, W
2. R. Cummings, 1EY#51, B
3. L. Haslett, 3EY#14, B
4. C. Chism, 4EY#33, B
5. F. Smith, 4ET#9, B
6. R. Craft, 5EB#108, W
7. F. Zavala, 2EB#95, Lx
8. R. Fowler, 2EB#96, W
9. S. Deleone, (request not to attend due to Transfer Pilot)?, Lx
10. J. Donaldson, 1EB#98, B
NOTE - (This is not a Transgender Religious, Mental Health tracking program.)

1. Both, the Community Resource Manager Madeline Tenney, and Associate Warden authorized for LT. San Robinson to return all DVD-CD-Flash Drive LGBTQIA+ content to group for in-session viewing. (please bring content to session).
2. SQTV Media Center Specialist Skylar Brown requested to visit our groups next session to discuss in-cell televised program options, pleased notify for date of next scheduled session, time and location.
3. Also requesting Community Resource Manager Madeline Tenny attend next schedule session, please notify.

- Floyd Smith, Peer Leader, Curator

The Marshall Project - 9 of 9

August 30, 2021

Floyd Smith #K-72700
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin, CA 94974

Mr. Smith,

Thank you for writing to The Marshall Project and for informing us of your situation. We know what you are going through is extremely difficult, and we have no doubt that your story deserves to be told.

As a criminal justice news site, we are unable to provide advocacy or legal services, and we do not have the resources to pursue and investigate individual cases. Many cases are absolutely worth investigating, but we do not have enough reporters on staff to investigate all of them.

Thank you again for your letter and for your interest in the Marshall Project.

Sincerely,
Susan Chira & The Marshall Project Staff

[handwritten comment with arrow pointing towards contents of the letter]
Cowards, Have vested interest @ SQ, as they endorse programming @ SQ, who protects LGBTQIA+ from the Marshall Project

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