Prom could be considered one of the most romanticized days of high school, and many students eagerly await the event throughout the year. The media also loves prom, depicting it in teen movies, such as a Disney movie of the same name and several High School Musicals. The traditional dance is relatively new to Community High School, which abstained from prom until the late 1990s, but has now become the usual annual event. While students prepare for the upcoming dance on May 4, the “prom experience” has already happened for some in the form of Queer Prom.
Queer Prom is an annual dance held at the Neutral Zone, usually around the time of Day of Silence, and hosted by Riot Youth and the GSA Coalition of SE Michigan. This year, it was held on April 13, a week before the Day of Silence. The event is known for being a safe, queer-friendly dance, and is open to all young people, regardless of sexuality.
“It’s all-inclusive, that means that gay couples can go, and even if you’re not bringing a date [you can go],” said Kelsey Rasmussen, a CHS sophomore who went to Queer Prom this year and last. And while traditional prom is generally attended by upperclassmen, Queer Prom is open to all high schoolers, meaning that many underclassmen join in on the festivities. In addition, a few college students and middle schoolers who help with Riot Youth also attend.
Rasmussen noted that the experience changes from year to year. She herself was confused her first time at the dance. “Last year I really didn’t know what to do, what was going on. [My friend] Charlotte dumped a bucket of glitter on me.” Queer Prom, it seems, is notorious for the stuff. There’s “so much glitter,” laughed Rasmussen. “This year… I knew what to expect.”
One thing Rasmussen enjoys about Queer Prom is its more relaxed nature. “Queer Prom is less formal than your standard prom at a high school,” she commented. “It’s only $5 to go to queer prom, and if you can’t pay, they won’t turn you away.”
The attire at Queer Prom is also quite relaxed. “Sometimes there’re costumes, but usually you just see people in t-shirts and jeans,” she said.
CHS junior Erin Baughn agreed with Rasmussen. Baughn decided to go to both Queer Prom and CHS Prom this year, with different reasons for each. “Queer Prom is less formal and laid back. It’s cheap and all ages and anyone can go. Prom, on the other hand, is all fancy and a big deal, so I wanted to experience both!” she said.
“I don’t know which I’ll enjoy more. They’re two completely different things. I’ve never been to Community’s prom before,” said Baughn, “I liked Queer Prom’s theme better this year. Prom is themed ‘Arabian Nights’ and Queer Prom was ‘Steampunk’, which is more fun.”
Normally, there is a best dressed or a Prom King/Queen, but sometimes Queer Prom has costume competitions for their themes. This year, there were categories such as “Best Fantasy Costume” and “Best Steampunk Costume” for the theme. “I like seeing the costumes,” said Rasmussen, “My friend Allie from Skyline actually won the fantasy costume [contest].”
Rasmussen noted that, in her experience, Queer Prom hasn’t received much harassment for being queer-friendly. However, there has been some conflict. “I remember last year, the story was a bunch of the Queer Prom posters at Skyline got torn down by people. But I’ve never seen someone like that actually go.” Rasmussen said that mainly, people just get riled up over who wins the costume contest and other typical “prom drama.”
Both agree that prom in general is a bit over-hyped. Baughn especially disagrees with spending excessive amounts for this one day. “It’s still a worthwhile experience, but not any more special than forum trip or field day,” she said.
“I mean, if [students] want to go to prom, I feel like that’s their business. But I do feel like they should know that it’s not too terribly important,” said Rasmussen. “And people get all worked up about it, and then it doesn’t really mean anything as the years go by. You can get excited to go, because who knows, it might be fun for you, but it’s not the end of the world if it’s not the perfect night.”
