LGBTQ+ Celebrated at Pride Prom
Pride Prom was an exciting and all- inclusive party hosted by the Queer & Allies club.
On May 4, LGBTQ+ and ally students gathered together in the Student Union building to share their cultures and diverse identities. Some students proudly waved their giant pride flags, while others joined in on dancing to the DJ’s light show. Queer & Allies president, Rhoni Hernandez, alongside a dramatic drag queen, emceed this colorful event. The prom put a grunge theme on display, as the room was filled with rock band posters, plaid flannels, and 90s themed party favors.
Pride Prom is a popular annual event that has taken place at Green River for the past eight years. The supposed reason behind its success is the excess of student involvement and the fun, comfortable space the event provides. Queer & Allies are committed to making their events inclusive and accessible so that every student and faculty member may participate.
The Queer & Allies club believes that no matter someone’s gender or sexuality, all voices should be heard. Pride Prom was not solely for the benefit of LGBTQ+ students, but also for straight and cisgender people, whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth, to attend. The prom provided a safe, comfortable space for people from all walks of life to join together to make new friends, jam to modern tunes, and watch fantastic drag queen performances.
People in the LGBTQ+ community often do not get the opportunity to bond with one another and meet people in their community outside of Pride festivals or gay bars. Due to the United States’ hetero-cisnormativity agenda, gay people are commonly sexualized, so the only access they would have to meet other LGBTQ+ people would be to attend a bar meant for LGBTQ+s. Pride Prom was a way for Green River to bring people together in a non-sexualized, entirely safe event. Several students reported that they tend to feel unsafe in age 21+ events, so having the possibility to join a relaxed college event was appealing to them.
Ray Loop, a Green River student, said, “A lot of people of the community are not supported by their schools, and it’s cool that both younger and older students can share this experience.” Based on interviews with Green River students, LGBTQ+ people were not able to attend their proms, the most common response being due to fear of mockery or backlash from their families. Pride Prom was a way to give the individuals who never had the chance to go to school dances a fun and stylish opportunity to engage with other LGBTQ+ students.
Non-LGBTQ+ events often omit individuals of that community, sometimes without recognizing it. This could be due to religious or personal beliefs, but LGBTQ+ people are frequently excluded from parties or gatherings. Queer & Allies wanted to counterattack the exclusion of LGBTQ+ students by hosting Pride Prom. Loop continued to say, “As long as you feel like everybody should be included in something, you’re included in it. [The prom] is a place where you can be yourself, and you can have a great time with people who are like you.”
“I think it’s really cool to be in a group where everyone around you are not necessarily similar, but are accepting of you. You don’t have to hold yourself back at all,” said Jesy Rice, another student attending Pride Prom. Another student agreed with them, saying, “I didn’t even know this was a ‘thing’ until now. I didn’t know that schools could be so [f—ing] accepting. It’s super refreshing, especially compared to my Catholic high school, and that’s the tea.”
Students feel that Pride Prom gave them a chance to dress how they wanted, act how they wanted, and dance how they wanted. LGBTQ+ students and allies alike, everyone partied like no tomorrow. Queer & Allies pulled off a successful event for the eighth year in a row.
