Queer Proms and LGBTQ+ Friendly Proms Create Belonging
the late 19th century were originally intended for graduating college students and were where good young ladies from nice families found nice eligible men to marry.By the 1950s, proms had shifted to the high school arena and were meant primarily to teach teenagers the correct social norms of dating, including who to date and who not to date.
Those social norms included racial segregation and strictly enforced gender codes, like forbidding girls from dressing or acting masculine, or crossing racial lines.Fast-forward to today and many people would not be surprised to see an interracial prom couple or even a same-sex couple.
Yet it was not that long ago that proms still were racially segregated; Wilcox County High School in Abbeville, Georgia, held its first integrated prom in 2013 and most likely there are schools that still hold segregated proms.For LGBTQ+ students, being able to bring same-sex partners as dates or participate in certain prom events is still something that is considered outside the "norm." In 2016, a Shasta Union High Schooler had to petition and contact the ACLU so she and her girlfriend could participate in the prom king and queen contest.Queer proms were meant to support LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies.
They provide a safe and inclusive space for queer youth to be themselves without fear and judgment. Usually, they're organized by LGBTQ+ groups and community members who understand the harm discrimination can have on the developing psyche.
