D.C.’s high school Pride Prom set for May 13 Seventh annual Montgomery County ‘MoCo Pride Prom’ scheduled for May 12

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

A unique D.C. Pride Prom open to LGBTQ students attending high schools throughout the city is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 13, at the Corner At Whitman-Walker, an event facility in Northwest Washington that the LGBTQ supportive Whitman-Walker Health is providing for the event free of charge.

“The goals of the event are to create a safe and joyous space for queer D.C. students, build relationships across schools, and thereby to support student mental health and activate broader community engagement,” according to a statement released by student and adult organizers of the event.

Additional information released by organizers says the event is free and is limited to students between the ages of 16 and 19.

“Due to space limitations, only 100 students will be able to attend,” a separate statement issued by organizers says. “Chaperones will be at Pride Prom to oversee the conduct and welfare of student participants,” it says.

Among the lead organizers of the D.C. Pride Prom are high school seniors Diya Bardwell and Liv Birnstad along with gay D.C. State Board of Education member Allister Chang.

At Chang’s initiative, the education board approved an official resolution endorsing the Pride Prom as an event “supporting LGBTQ+ youth by uplifting inclusive and welcoming spaces and promoting events” like the Pride Prom.

In a separate statement, the Montgomery County, Md., LGBTQ organization called the MoCo Pride Center says it is organizing a MoCo Pride Prom scheduled for Friday, May 12, at a location yet to be announced.

“Starting in 2016 with modest beginnings, the MoCo Pride Prom is now an event the local students look forward to each year,” the statement says. “The MoCo Pride Prom is open to high school-aged and community college students in the local area who want to proudly attend prom, dress however they are most comfortable, and dance –without fear – with whomever they choose,” the statement says.

“The evening will consist of a live DJ spinning popular music, along with giveaways, a raffle and local catering – all at a nominal ticket price,” the statement continues. “The event is funded through efforts from direct donations, fundraising, and corporate sponsorships,” it says.

A spokesperson for the MoCo Pride Center couldn’t immediately be reached to determine whether an age limit was set for attendees of the Pride Prom since community colleges usually accept students of all ages.

The D.C. Pride Prom lead student organizers Diya Bardwell, who lives in Ward 7, and Liv Birnstad, who lives in Ward 1, told the Washington Blade in a joint statement that similar to the Montgomery County event, the D.C. Pride Prom will include a DJ and dancing as well as a possible photo booth among other features depending on the available funds to cover the cost.

The two said organizers set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the Pride Prom and have asked potential supporters to also contact them directly by email to make arrangements for a donation.

“As a queer student, I have often felt like I do not have a community of other LGBTQ+ students or educators around me,” Bardwell said. “I hope that Pride Prom can be a safe space for all LGBTQ+ youth to experience not only a prom that celebrates who they are, but a community of people who celebrate all of the love and joy of being queer,” she said.

Birnstad said the D.C. Pride Prom is important to her because it will allow LGBTQ students to come together to have fun rather than just engage in advocacy related activities.

“A lot of the times when we come together it’s to talk about our struggles or to talk about ways we can combat homophobia, but this is a night where we get to just kind of relax and be normal teenagers, and I think that that is super, super special,” she told the Blade.