Students and community activists met in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen to begin planning a prom for LGBTQ youth, according to an item from Radio Arte. The planning committee, which is mostly Latino, feels it is important to create visibility for the queer community that already exists in Pilsen.
Although this is not the first time that a prom for LGBTQ teens is being held in Chicago, it is among the first outside of heavily gay areas. Pilsen is predominantly Mexican. 'That's part of the point,' said Tania Unzueta of Homofrecuencia, an LGBTQ show that airs on Radio Arte. 'We want to create a safe space for us within our own communities. We want to be who we are, where we live'.
This will be the second time that Latino LGBTQ history is made in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. In August 2002, Radio Arte launched Homofrecuencia, the first Spanish-language radio program in U.S. history that targeted LGBTQ youth and allies.
The Noche de Arcoiris Queer Prom 2005, as the gala will be called, will include entertainment with a drag show, music, and food. The event will take place at the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum May 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more information about attending or volunteering, contact Unzueta at homofrecuencia@radioarte.org or ( 312 ) 455-9455, x108.