Hayward Gay Prom

Last updated
Hayward Gay Prom
Date1995;30 years ago (1995)
DurationAnnual
Location Hayward, California, United States
ThemeLGBT youth dance
Organized byKen Athey

The Hayward Gay Prom is an annual "anti-prom" for LGBTQ youth founded in 1995 in Hayward, California, United States. [1]

Contents

History

One of the oldest running gay proms in the United States, it was founded in 1995 by Ken Athey and Project Eden/Lambda Youth, a local LGBT youth mental health organization. [2] It was initially held at Centennial Hall and currently at Chabot College. [3]

Students from 14 to 20 years old may attend the event. [1] Local LGBTQ organizations provide support and conduct outreach, and parents are encouraged to attend and support their children. [1] In 2014, the director for Project Eden predicted more than 300 youth would attend, [3] stating:

[Gay prom] is needed because the young people need a place to go to where they feel safe and accepted. [4]

A documentary film on the prom, Now We Can Dance: The Story of the Hayward Gay Prom, was created and shown at the 2013 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Controversy

Since its inception the event has attracted violent protest and bomb threats, requiring police and community protection. [4] Attendees have been subject to harassment by teachers and other students due to their participation. After moving to Chabot College the number of protesters eventually declining to zero in 2014. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Owen, Elliot (June 5, 2014). "Hayward's gay prom turns 20". Bay Area Reporter. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23.
  2. ↑ "Now We Can Dance: The Story of the Hayward Gay Prom - short version (17 min)". Vimeo (video).
  3. 1 2 Parr, Rebecca (5 June 2014). "Hayward gay prom Saturday". The Mercury News . ISSN   0747-2099.
  4. 1 2 3 Kornblum, Janet (June 24, 2014). "Fabulous Photos From One of America's Longest-Running Gay Proms". Mother Jones .
  5. ↑ "Hayward's Gay Prom - Beginnings & City Council Meeting". Blip.tv. 2007-10-25. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  6. ↑ Parr, Rebecca (June 13, 2013). "San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival includes Hayward gay prom documentary". The Mercury News . Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  7. ↑ "Alliance to Host Tracy's First Gay Prom". Google News Archive Search. Lodi News-Sentinel. January 12, 2006.
  8. ↑ Winkelman, Cheryl (2006-04-14). "Gay prom goes smoothly despite threats". Inside Bay Area. ANG Newspapers. Archived from the original on April 15, 2006. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  9. ↑ "Library Director's Blog » Blog Archive » "Now We Can Dance" — a documentary about the Hayward Gay Prom". Hayward-ca.gov. 2012-12-12. Archived from the original on 2013-08-17. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  10. ↑ Laird, Cynthia (2010-05-27). "News in brief: LGBT youth proms in SF, East Bay". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  11. ↑ "Prom For Gay Students Attracts 100 In California - Orlando Sentinel". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. 1995-07-02. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  12. ↑ "Library as Filmmaker: Documenting the Creation of a California Town's Gay Prom". Lj.libraryjournal.com. 2013-02-20. Archived from the original on February 23, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.