San Jose's Queer Prom is Safe, Fun, and Accepting

Gay Prom 2010 from DE BUG on Vimeo.

On Friday, July 16, 2010, the Billy DeFrank LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered) Community Center hosted their annual Queer Prom in hopes of promoting safety, awareness, and tolerance. The event was primarily for gay youth between the ages of 13 and 20, but it was also open to all. It was advertised through Facebook, MySpace, and other websites to encourage all races, religions, and creeds to join. The theme for the event was “The Gender Bender Ball," which encourages youth to dress how they feel, whether it means a boy dresses like a girl or vice versa.

I've lived in San Jose for about five years, and this was the first one I've been to in the South Bay. I remember being 16 going to a Queer Prom in Hayward. My initial experience, being young and gay, was incredible. I felt free and unashamed for liking the same sex, and better yet, I felt okay with my sexuality. I didn't get in trouble for dancing with girls, and didn't mind dancing with some of the boys.

Some of the issues I faced going to a regular public/private high school dance, like Homecoming and Prom, was being discriminated against, in the sense that I wasn't allowed to dance with other girls.

Even though all my other straight girlfriends were free to “freak” each other and boys on the dance floor, any type of “freaking” is technically against school policy regardless of gender.

I remember getting kicked out of my high school's homecoming dance because I was dancing with a couple of my homegirls, even though there were girls and boys doing the same thing to each other. It was very clear that I was being singled out for being homosexual, considering the whole school gym looked like a mass orgy. And the only one to get blackballed was me. Knowing that I was being targeted, I was very vocal about the blatant discrimination and was immediately let back into the school dance.

Remembering that experience made me embrace this prom. Not only do they promote safety, but they also support a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol, which are infamously involved in any regular school dance whether it's private or public.

The event had an open dance floor that was eventually saturated by a multiplicity of lesbian, gay, and transgender youth all having what seemed like an awesome time. It also had a stage with a rainbow backdrop that held performances by various dancers dressed in drag, voguing their hearts out. On the outside patio, they also had a booth that promoted safe sex while teaching various forms of STD's along with informational pamphlets that passed out male and female condoms for those who are already sexually active. Not only did they have music, entertainment, and a place to let loose on the dance floor, they also provided food.

Overall, the San Jose Gay Prom was a tremendous success in the sense that everyone was able to be themselves without the pressures of straight society. There was nothing but good vibes and good times from the youngest to the oldest person attending. Not only did they come unaware of what Prom had to offer but they left feeling a sense of belonging. After all, what good is a prom, straight or gay, if you can't be yourself and don't feel safe?