(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A local LGBTQ+ organization kicked off pride month a day early with its annual Youth Pride and Queer Prom event, hosted by Inside Out Youth Services. This year’s theme is “Pink Pony Disco,” and people went all out to celebrate.
Love was in the air on Sat. May 31, as around 200 people aged 13 to 24 dressed up in their best attire and headed to prom. The event had vendors, entertainment, lots of food and drinks, and of course, a disco ball. They even offered long gowns and a hair and makeup team to make sure everyone was feeling their best. The event had live drag performances, and some of the guests even joined in.
“I think it’s wonderful, it’s very pink, and of course very glittery,” said Anna Noah, a 16-year-old who attended the event.
It was an opportunity for hundreds of people to make their way down the red carpet and show off their bright personalities.
“This is a prom where you can come as you are, as you want to be, and whatever makes you feel fabulous with whoever you want to be with,” said Ollie Glassner, the Communications Advocacy Director for Inside Out Youth Services, the organization that made it all happen.
The sight of sparkly eye shadow, polished nails, and perfect hair styles was hard to miss during this year’s youth pride and queer prom.
“At regular proms, they’re just like, ‘oh, you’re the queen and you’re the king,’ but here it’s kind of like everyone’s their own queen and king, and everything in between,” said Noah.
What was usually a gym was converted into a room full of glitter and celebration as organizers spent all day stringing balloons, hanging lights, and perfecting the pink pony theme.
“The theme was actually chosen by the youth,” said Glassner.
Glassner says the point of queer prom is to create a space to celebrate each other and love people for who they are.
“Getting to see them be themselves in a different world where they have that freedom to be, where they have the words to describe themselves, where they feel empowered and safe to be themselves, that’s something I never could have imagined when I was their age,” said Glassner.
Noah spent the afternoon getting ready for the big night by getting their hair and makeup done. It’s Noah’s second queer prom and says they feel like a princess.
“It’s not like you have to be perfect all the time, guys. So, I just feel like being here is just like my friends are here, I’m here, and we’re going to have fun,” said Noah.
It’s the tenth year that Inside Out has hosted the event for the community, and this year they expected more than two hundred queen,s and that’s exactly what they got.
“Go get your hair done, go get your makeup done, put on a nice dress or a nice suit or whatever you want to wear, this is this is for you,” said Noah.
If you missed this year’s queer prom, there are still plenty of ways to get involved, Inside Out Youth Services says their next event is Youth Pride and will take place the first weekend of June.
