Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-09-06
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

A brief history of LGBTQ students and proms
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2018-06-20

This article shared 3514 times since Wed Jun 20, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


In recent years, many LGBTQ students have attended their high school proms across the country without any "controversy" but that was not always the case due to school officials denying them entry into the annual dance.

"Ever since its creation in the 1920s, prom has been a powerful ritual that shapes the gendered and sexual culture of American youth in ways that typically enforce heteronormativity, or the belief that the only 'good' and 'normal' way to be is a masculine boy who is attracted to feminine girls and vice versa," said Northern Illinois University ( NIU ) Professor Dr. Amanda Littauer.

This left many LGBTQ students without the ability to express themselves in a school-sponsored dance setting, however, a small number of students fought back against these gendered rules as early as the 1950s.

One such case took place in 1980 when Aaron Fricke wanted to take his friend Paul Guilbert to his Cumberland High School ( Rhode Island ) prom. His principal denied the request so Fricke filed a lawsuit. The case, Fricke v. Lynch, went to the U.S. District Court and the court sided with Fricke and also ordered that the school provide security for the couple so they would remain safe while in attendance. Fricke also wrote a book and play about the case, "Reflections of a Rock Lobster."

The case was one of the first legal victories for LGBTQ youth and set a precedent for future disputes. It has been used to counter school officials at public schools who continue to deny students the ability to bring any date or dates of their choosing to the prom.

"The Fricke story reveals the persistence, creativity and resourcefulness of youth who refused to follow the rules imposing heterosexuality and heterosexual rituals upon high school culture," said Littauer.

In recent years, there have been a number of LGBTQ students crowned prom king or queen or been named to the prom court across the country, and not just in the liberal areas.

For the past seven years, Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ) has hosted a queer prom, with the location changing each year. This year's event was held on the South Side, for the first time. According to Chicago GSA Prom co-founder Noa Padowitz, the event has grown in popularity every year.

"CPS allows students to bring any high school-aged partner to prom, however, due to social pressure, some students do not feel comfortable bringing same sex or gender non-conforming partners to their home school's prom," said Padowitz. "The Chicago GSA Prom started to provide CPS students with a safe space to dance with and meet other LGBTQ+ students from around the city."

Now colleges like NIU have gotten into the Queer Prom game. This year's NIU Queer Prom was sponsored by the LGBTQ student support group Prism and took place on March 31 on the college's campus.

NIU senior Margaret Hitchcock had the idea of holding a Queer Prom on campus her freshman year, however, it took until this past school year for it to take place.

"I was so excited to see Queer Prom finally happen," said Hitchcock. "Prism did a phenomenal job at orchestrating a night to remember for all that attended. Queer Prom offered students an opportunity to be themselves and dance the night away."

"Prism's 2018 Queer Prom was the organization's first large event in recent years," said NIU senior and Prism President Ronan Kaiser. "It was a chance for LGBTQIA+ folks from NIU and the Dekalb community to have a safe space to dance and enjoy the evening with their significant others and friends. Prism also crowned Prom Royalty which was voted upon by attendants of the dance. We are hoping to continue to host dances like Queer Prom at NIU.

"One of the main thoughts behind Queer Prom was that many queer students did not get to have a prom experience that they wanted to in high school," said NIU senior and Prism Vice President Gabriel Sonntag. "For example, I went to a Catholic school on the South Side of Chicago. We had to have an opposite-gender date and there was a strict dress code. Since I could not go stag or wear what I wanted, I did not go.

"We had a great turnout at the Queer Prom. We sold around 60 tickets despite it being Passover and Easter weekend. LGBTQ+ students as well as our allies attended. I think Queer Prom was more than just a dance for college students. It was a non-judgmental space for many attendees. They could bring whomever they wanted and wear whatever they wanted. Some people came dressed in formal wear while others were more casual attire. I liked Queer Prom because there was no pressure to conform or wear certain clothes."

"I attended my high school prom with a guy," said recent NIU graduate Sam Lanigan. "It was not a bad experience, but I did not have the opportunity to be my authentic self. So I was thrilled that NIU held a Queer Prom this year where I was able to attend with my fiancée Danielle. She was able to wear masculine clothes for the first time at an event and finally feel comfortable. This made me so happy for her. The best part about the event on the whole was being able to look around the room and know this was a safe space for all of us. It made graduating from NIU this spring even better because I know that I am leaving a place that creates safe spaces for many marginalized individuals."

"We at Prism were so honored to be able to hold Queer Prom at NIU this Spring," said NIU Assistant Professor and Prism Faculty Advisor Katy Jaekel. "While events that center queer individuals are becoming more common, that night, many people shared that this was the first time they had ever been able to attend an event that not only centered queerness, it celebrated it. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate and experience this event together."

A number of other entities across the country have held Queer Proms over the years. This year the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago celebrated its 13th annual Queer Prom while the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective ( Connecticut ) held its 24th annual Queer Prom. Buzzfeed has also hosted two Queer Proms—last year in Los Angeles and this year in New York City.

Lambda Legal, the ACLU and GLAAD have released information for LGBTQ students so they know their rights and will be able to challenge their school or school district on their discriminatory policies around prom attendance.

See www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/article/youth-dances, www.aclu.org/files/assets/Prom_Rights.pdf and www.glaad.org/publications/promkit for more information.


This article shared 3514 times since Wed Jun 20, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Wisconsin governor vetoes anti-trans youth healthcare ban
2023-12-08
In an expected move, Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that aimed to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors, CBS News reported. Evers has sworn to strike down any proposals from the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature ...


Gay News

MOVIES Director Daniel Peddle on the sequel to the classic doc 'The Aggressives'
2023-12-05
In 2005, Daniel Peddle released The Aggressives—a groundbreaking documentary filmed during the late '90s and early '00s in New York City that profiled several masculine-presenting/transmasculine people of color. Fast-forward to ...


Gay News

Bring Chicago Home: Guess who's saying no again
2023-12-04
Commentary by Bob Palmer and Mark Swartz - Chicago is ushering in an era of change with a new progressive mayor with a vision to invest in communities long ignored and a significant increase in like-minded city council members. We are excited to see ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Tenn. law, banned books, rainbow complex, journalists quit
2023-12-01
Under pressure from a lawsuit over an anti-LGBTQ+ city ordinance, officials in Murfreesboro, Tennessee removed language that banned homosexuality in public, MSNBC noted. Passed in June, Murfreesboro's "public decency" ordinance ...


Gay News

Fla. students walk out after school board's anti-trans actions
2023-11-29
In Florida, hundreds of students at Coconut Creek's Monarch High School held a walkout on Nov. 28 after their principal and several other school officials were reportedly reassigned over a transgender student's participation on the girls ...


Gay News

OPINION For LGBTQ+ children, the holidays are often the most challenging time of the year
2023-11-21
Holiday time for most of us is a time to spend more time with family and loved ones, but for many children, it is a harsh reminder of their non-acceptance and thus, is all the more difficult as well. ...


Gay News

YEPP 'rises' to occasion at fall fundraiser
2023-11-20
Members and guests of Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP) gathered Nov. 17 at Chicago Theater Works, 1113 W. Belmont Ave., for the organization's fall fundraiser, Rise Up: Our Celebration of Resistance. The evening marked both the ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Bishop removed, business news, Jezebel shutting down, MAP head
2023-11-17
Pope Francis removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas—a conservative prelate active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff, PBS reported. A one-line statement from the Vatican said the pope had "relieved" ...


Gay News

Illinois attorney general part of effort against Oklahoma anti-trans youth law
2023-11-16
--From a press release - Chicago — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is opposing a state law in Oklahoma that severely limits the ability of transgender youth to access critical, lifesaving gender-affirming care. Raoul, along with a coalition of attorneys general, ...


Gay News

IDHS head Dulce Quintero reflects on making history, being an advocate
2023-11-13
Dulce Quintero has always believed in helping people—and decades of doing so has resulted in an especially noteworthy achievement. Recently, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Quintero, a member of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, as ...


Gay News

Kwame Raoul backs Maryland school board's efforts for LGBTQ+ safety, inclusion
2023-11-01
--From a press release - Chicago — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, supported a Maryland board of education's efforts to create a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ children and students. The ...


Gay News

WORLD Spirit Day, pope's meeting, conversion therapy, 'Elite' actor, tourism
2023-10-27
Spirit Day—an annual observance celebrated every third Thursday of October that is dedicated to taking a stand against bullying and showing support for the LGBTQ+ youth—was marked globally, GLAAD noted. ...


Gay News

Ninth Circuit temporarily blocks Idaho restroom ban as court challenge proceeds
2023-10-26
--From a press release - (Boise, ID, October 26, 2023) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today temporarily blocked enforcement of an Idaho school facilities law that singles out transgender students for discriminatory treatment. The law was ...


Gay News

Harlem unveils supportive housing for LGBTQ+ youths, young adults
2023-10-25
On Oct. 24, NYC government officials and nonprofit organization leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a housing development in Harlem with services for homeless LGBTQ+ youth and young adults between the ages ...


Gay News

Loyola School of Law to present LGBTQ+ Youth Symposium Nov. 4
2023-10-24
--From a press release - Chicago law firm Matt Cohen and Associates has announced a first-of-its-kind symposium and resource fair for LGBTQ+ youth, families, and allies at Loyola University School of Law. located at 25 E. Pearson Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611 ...


 


Copyright © 2023 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.