Prom is the highlight of high school for some and a huge disappointment for others, but one Athens group is giving people another shot to relive the experience.
Queer Prom will be hosted by ALLY, a student group that serves as an alliance for queer, straight and trans students, on Friday at 8 p.m. in the Walter Rotunda.
This year’s theme is A Gay Gatsby and all students are invited to come and channel their creativity and dress to fit the theme in their best prohibition-1920s-era garb, although, no dress code is required.
Queer Prom has been a key part of ALLY since the group’s inception.
“We put it on for people who couldn’t take their date, or their date of choice, to high school prom,” said Ryan Vollrath, president of ALLY and a senior studying history and psychology.
The event encourages students of all sexualities to come and have fun with the date of their choice.
"I’ve never been judged by who I would like to date, it’s never been a problem for me,” said Annie Drew, vice president of ALLY and a senior studying criminology and psychology. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of kids out there without that.”
The prom experience will come complete with a DJ, dance floor, photo booth and refreshments.
Attendees can even vote for Queer Prom king and queen. Votes are taken throughout the night and people can vote an unlimited number of times for the candidate of their choice. Toward the end of the evening, names will be drawn randomly for the titles of king and queen and both are gender neutral titles that anyone can win.
ALLY received funding for this event through UFund and it has been in the works since the beginning of fall semester.
Queer Prom bears a special significance for Athens, since high schools in the area don’t have any type of groups geared toward LGBT students.
“Because of where we are geographically, there are not a lot of spaces for LGBT people to be LGBT people,” said Delfin Bautista, director of the LGBT center.
ALLY hopes to make the event a safe space and for all attendees to be able to express themselves.
“This is an opportunity for those individuals who couldn’t go to their prom or social because they were scared,” Bautista said. “Hopefully, this can be a spark in creating more places like that.”
If You Go:
What: Queer Prom
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Walter Hall Rotunda
Admission: Free
@kruseco
sk139011@ohiou.edu
