Queertopia Queer Youth Prom celebrants dressed to impress: Kennedy, Rose, Carlos, Layla, Andrea and Sky. More than 300 LGBT young people and their allies danced and partied in their finery. Photo by Rink.

Hundreds of young people in upscale finery surged from BART, Muni, and their parents’ cars toward the San Francisco LGBT Center on June 11 for Queertopia, the queer youth prom. It was not an unusual sight for this time of year, and then a second glance revealed that the couples were same sex and holding hands. Beautiful, brightly colored satin and silk gowns on the young women and one tattooed man, and suits and slinky black ensembles sported by the young men set the tone for a magical semi-formal evening. And two women came to the party dressed like Lady Gaga. It was a series of wonderful profound moments for the youth who were refugees from their judgmental families, home towns, and high schools just to attend the prom, and many were thrilled to meet and greet other queer youth and allies, and especially the hopeful singles.  

They were spared the ridiculous high school prom night of this journalist, whose date was his fourth cousin, and whose male teenaged lover of four years brought a lesbian friend on the double date, who laughed diabolically all evening about the acting awards that she claimed that she deserved for her performance. There was no public same sex touching, kissing, or dancing in high schools back then, and it was breathtaking to see the contrast at the Friday queer youth event, where close contact was blatant and casual. But thousands of LGBT youth in conservative locales still have to set up a charade with opposite sex dates just to double date with their lovers.

The Center was decorated by interns with traditional balloons and crepe paper, and an arch was mounted over the staircase with recycled Christmas holly. Young volunteers greeted the guests and requested a $5 donation, and officious-looking Center employees wearing headsets made it clear with their expressions and presence that evil-doers would not be tolerated. An agitated Sister Mae Joy was the ranking Sister of Perpetual Indulgence to supervise Sisters-in-training Oy Vey Maria, Shugga Butt and Mo, who served as chaperones. And then statuesque Sister Roma swept into the soiree, with her distinctive boa atop her wimple to command the religious order’s minions and attract admiring glances from the style-deprived partygoers.  

Padora’s Myth performed at the party, and they were described as a fine queer break dance troupe, and Hot Cookie, Harvey’s, and the Hard French event crew provided the refreshments. The party was well organized, with the center’s youth coordinators Beck in charge of the second floor, and Erik Martinez managing the first floor. The overall event was managed by community program director Roberto Ordenana, who described in detail the harsh reality of looming funding cutbacks for the Center’s youth meal project. He is hopeful that the mayor and supervisors will be lobbied to save the resource that not only provides sustenance, but also camaraderie and the feeling that someone cares about them. Many queer youth are survivors of severe beatings and harassment as soon as their orientations became noticeable, and for some the food program at the Center is their first awareness that adults and other youth support and accept them for who they are. 

A large distinctive HIV Testing sign with an arrow that pointed to a room where a smiling Sabeena Shah from Trans Kiss waited, poised with a testing q-tip. Trans Kiss is a project of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and testing counselor Ses Sultan launched himself to aggressively hand out condoms to the throng. H&M clothiers provided one hundred dollar gift cards for a raffle prizes, and guests filled out a survey of questions about youth resources in return for free tickets. A quick polling of the prom about what the young people want drew this shopping list for the LGBT Center: youth on the board, and for the board to take a personal interest in the food program, full cyber center staffing and building wi-fi, quarterly youth empowerment forums, and re-opening the cafĂ©. 

Throbbing hip hop and Top 40 music welcomed the 300-plus dancers to the intoxicating sight and sound phenomenon in the Rainbow Room that is the classic American prom, and the LGBT youth exulted in their extravagant freedom, that someday should be a non-issue across the U.S.