Pride prom celebrates inclusivity and empowerment with a red carpet


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Calumet junior Olivia Torala, right, and her date Olivia Campbell of Mount Pleasant dance at the Gender and Sexuality Alliance Spectrum's Pride Prom April 12 in the Center for Inclusion and Diversity at Bovee University Center. Torala said the two met the "way most people meet in 2019"-- through an online app.

More than 70 people strutted down a red carpet and through a jungle of brightly-colored streamers and golden balloons while entering the annual Pride Prom. 

The Gender and Sexuality Alliance Spectrum aspired to combat the traditionally heterosexual concept of prom with what they hoped to be a "feel-good" and "empowering" twist: a "Red Carpet themed Gay-palooza." 

Their annual pride prom was held on April 12 in Central Michigan University's Center for Inclusion and Diversity in the Bovee University Center. The evening featured music and a variety of craft tables for beaded bracelets and colorful paper.

Portage senior Katie Chizek, the president of Spectrum and the event's chief coordinator, said she's had her eyes on Pride Prom for the entire year. She said it offered a joyful way to challenge decades-worth of strictly heterosexual dances and high school functions. 

"I want everyone to be feeling just super happy and excited and to be living peacefully in this moment and having fun," Chizek said. "Most importantly, I want everyone to know how accepted and loved they are and to be aware they're not in a space that allows judging." 

She said although she remembers and commemorates her high school prom as being "a really nice" evening full of cute dresses and awesome friends, she couldn't resist recognizing the heteronormativity of the event at its core. 

"These dances often create a narrative and viewpoint that makes members of the LGBTQ community feel like they can't dress how they want or attend with the partner that they want and feel most comfortable and happy with," she said. 

Chizek said the high school experience often features a frequency of individuals not feeling quite comfortable with themselves and preferring the quietude of reservation as opposed to the animation of a dance celebrated as a "milestone" phenomenon. 

"When they come to college they're a little bit more open and we want to let that openness show," she said. 

While Gaylord sophomore Gwendolyn Ralson once always considered herself a supporter and successful ally to the LGBTQ community, she said she didn't realize how special a Pride Prom could be until recognizing her own identity as bisexual. 

She said her sexual identity awakened in the beginning of Fall 2018, aligned with the changing of the leaves and inspired by intense reflection and desire for acceptance. 

"Looking back at last semester, I'm still not really sure how it happened. But I know I definitely had a lot of friends to help and support me and guide me to an important realization I needed in my life," Ralson said. "Tonight I'm here and it's just really nice to just see everyone in the community and really start being myself." 

She said the red carpet aesthetics made her feel like everyone's originality and authenticity was being spotlighted and they could finally celebrate and appreciate themselves without regrets. 

"I came here in a friend group and stuff but we've been able to include other people and meet new people," she said. "I'm interacting outside my normal friend circle but feel just as supported." 

Novi Junior Spencer Betts said the event had him at a loss for words, "but in a really good way." 

He said the centered themes and values of the dance included the importance of empowerment, togetherness and the ultimate celebration of a society's progression and persistence toward inclusivity. 

"Everyone is welcome to come on in and have a good time. You can enjoy yourself and get out of your comfort zone," he said, explaining the prom offered much more animation and festive circumstances than traditional safe spaces.

He said, overall, it was just a lot of positive and essential energy. 

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About Samantha Shriber

Samantha Shriber is a staff reporter at Central Michigan Life and is a Saint Clair Shores ...

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