Dharma Bum Temple
The Dharma Bum Temple (DBT) is not just an ally, but a true spiritual home for the LGBTQ community with a significant number of attendees identifying as LGBTQ. This includes founding board members, former board president and current program leaders which ensures the cultivation of a safe space. DBT has led meditation at the Pride Festival DevOUT Booth and Zen Garden, the LGBT Community Center for the 50+ HIV discussion group and with the San Diego Pride Staff. Last year DBT helped clean Balboa Park the day after the Pride Festival, a tradition they vow to uphold annually. Providing a peaceful place to learn about meditation and Buddhist practice since 2008, DBT offers intro to Buddhism and meditation classes, homeless & prison outreach, addiction recovery programs, classes for parents, teens and kids, hosts visiting monks & nuns and everything is offered for free. Co-Founder and CEO Jeffrey Zlotnik stands as a beacon of support and advocacy for the LGBTQ community having co-led the Pride Parade blessing with religious leaders in 2018, 2019 and 2023, spoken at Light up the Cathedral four of the last six years and marched in the Pride Parade with the interfaith coalition.
Jeffrey started leading meditation in 1996 at a group home for sexually abused adolescents. After graduating from the University of Arizona in 1997, he built a successful consulting career until 2005 when he left it all for a Buddhist Monastery in Taiwan, living with monks for one year. Jeffrey has provided free meditation for more than 100,000 people including K-12 schools, adult and juvenile prisons, senior centers, homeless teens, wounded warriors, active military members with PTSD, UCSD Medical Center, sober living homes, superior court judges, Susan G. Komen, TEDxYouth, Braille Institute, Jewish Family Services, Catholic Charities and victims of domestic violence & human trafficking.