Gaga blasts, bodies sway and the crowd drowns out the music, filling the bar to capacity, screaming the lyrics at a deafening volume. It's not the Lady's concert, but it is one of many Casa dances sponsored by Open Doors.
Casa dances provide Athens with a safe haven for LGBTA (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Ally) people
said DJ Jason Porter, clerk for Open Doors. It's a diverse alternative to most dance nights in Athens and it gives us an excuse to just let loose.
The first Casa dance begins at 10:30 p.m. tomorrow night at Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina, with a Back to School theme. The cost is $5 for those under 21 and $3 for those over 21, and the dances are held the second Saturday of each month.
Every Casa dance last year reached the bar's 168 capacity by midnight, and though the dance caters to the LGBTA community, everyone is encouraged to attend, said Adam Bialek, the PR chair for Open Doors, who plans to dress as a Catholic School Boy to stay with the theme.
Everyone in my class over the summer had heard of the Casa dances said Porter, a senior studying communication. They're legendary.
Although the dance is a social event, Open Doors is a group that meets to discuss LGBTA issues at 8 p.m. Wednesdays at United Campus Ministry in order to create a positive, diverse and non-judgmental environment for everyone, said Bialek, who studies photojournalism.
It's a place to go and feel at home. You're just a normal person
not just 'the gay person in the friend group
' said Open Doors member Michael Pistrui, a junior studying anthropology. It's just a community of people like you.
The goal is to make everyone feel welcome and have in-depth discussions with those who understand, Bialek said.
There is a stereotype that Open Doors is only for 'really gay' people
but it's just real people
Bialek said. People think 'I'm not gay
I don't belong there
' but it's not like that. Open Doors is there to break down that barrier.
Bialek urged people to just try it out and see, but even if the weekly meetings don't fit into their schedule, there are always the monthly dances.
Porter, who DJs the dances, confided that last year's favorite was Bad Romance
but that this year's breakout star is unclear.
We're not over Gaga yet
Porter said with a laugh. There's still plenty of juice to be sucked out of her aura.
