The festival is set to feature live performances and local LGBTQ+ organizations, all celebrating pride and mental health awareness
By SAIRAKSHA THIRUNAVUKKARASU — campus@theaggie.org
On Friday, May 30, the UC Davis Mental Health Initiative (MHI) is hosting Pride in Mind, a queer mental health festival, at Russell Field. The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. and is free for everyone. No RSVPs are required, and the first 150 attendees will get free Kona Ice.
With no traditional ASUCD Pride Festival having taken place this year, Pride in Mind seeks to explore the intersectionality between mental health and queer identity. It is MHI’s last and largest event as a part of their program for Mental Health Awareness Month.
“Mental health is extremely stigmatized among many cultures and different demographics,” MHI Point Director Ramya Pondicherry, a fourth-year psychology major, said. “We’re hoping to have discussions about queer identity and allow for a safe space for the queer community to talk about their experiences.”
The goal of the event is to destigmatize mental health and celebrate Pride Month, which is in June but often celebrated in May at UC Davis so as to better fit the quarter system.
The festival includes live performances from individuals in the Davis and greater Sacramento community, including students performing spoken word poetry, drag queen performances, a story enacted by the Puppet Club in Davis and a musical show from the Queer Marching Band. Over 50 organizations, including clubs, vendors and on-campus resources are tabling as well.
Programming Coordinator Emerald Hue, a third-year psychology major, said that MHI has opened the event up to groups of all backgrounds and those not primarily identified as queer.
“We also looked for clubs that might not be openly queer-based but have a lot of queer folk [in order to] create a welcoming space for people to come and find other communities or resources that they align with,” Hue said.
On-campus clubs present at the event will include Sakhi, a South Asian queer club, Davis Period, a menstrual advocacy club, and the Student-Health Awareness Resources Empowering Davis club. Students can also find mental health support with the LGBTQIA Resource Center, Sexual Assault Awareness and Advocacy Committee and Students for Reproductive Freedom. Elevate Queer Yolo, a free program for LGBTQ+ youth based in Sacramento, will also be available to help students navigate community resources.
“It’s scary to talk about mental health by yourself,” Pondicherry said. “Having an environment [like this] helps individuals uplift and appreciate each other.”
Written by: Sairaksha Thirunavukkarasu — campus@theaggie.org
