PFLAG Lubbock

Austin American-Statesman, 13 May 2012

David McClendon is in prom planning mode.

He’s got a date (best friend Trina), his outfit (’50s garb), mode of transportation (Volvo) and a pre-prom meal idea (sushi). Then it’s off to the annual Out Youth Queer Prom for an evening of music, dancing and general merry-making.

“I’m expecting to see people dancing, having fun and doing what you’re supposed to do at a prom,” said McClendon, 18. “It’s going to be like a night out on the town.”

On Saturday, more than 200 people are expected to attend the annual prom held by Out Youth, an Austin nonprofit that provides support services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

It will be, in some respects, just like a regular dance: food, music, entertainment.

But the event offers a respite for teens uncomfortable with the boy-takes-girl norm at most high school events. Attendees will compete for honors such as Ambassador of Fierce, Fearlessly Friendly and Outstanding Outfit. The theme, “Moulin Rouge meets Masquerade,” allows for all sorts of fashion possibilities. But there’s no pressure to show up in a limo and pricey clothes you’ll never wear again, students say.

“I’ll probably wear what I always wear: a T-shirt and cargo shorts,” said Analysa Tamez, 17, who recently moved to Austin.

“That’s all you need,” McClendon said.

Out Youth has been holding proms since the early 1990s. At first, the gatherings were just an alternative to the typical high school homecoming dance. But supporters soon realized that the events were a powerful exercise in self-expression, and now the Queer Prom is a centerpiece of the nonprofit’s year, with both teens and young adults showing up to have a good time.

McClendon and Tamez said they’ve never had a tough time having fun at school events. McClendon, now a student at Austin Community College, said he felt perfectly comfortable taking his then boyfriend to his senior prom in Pflugerville last year. But the pair did stand out, he said, simply because they were both male. Queer Prom is an opportunity to bond with friends who have walked in those same shoes.

“To me, it’s going to be like paradise, to be around people that go through the same things you do on a daily basis,” he said.

“I can just be myself,” Tamez agreed.

The Queer Prom will be held at Whole Foods on Saturday at 525 N. Lamar Blvd. Tickets are $10 to $25, and the event begins at 7 p.m. For more information, go to outyouth.org.