The Hayward Gay Prom is a dance held for

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

youth. It takes place in

Hayward, California Hayward () is a city located in Alameda County, California in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 162,954 as of 2020, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda Coun ...

, United States every year, and was established in 1995.

History

The Hayward Gay Prom is one of the oldest running gay proms in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Ken Athey, a gay man and youth counsellor, founded the event. According to Athey, his goal was to create a safe space for LGBT youth to enjoy prom without discrimination. It has been held at Centennial Hall and Chabot College. Students up to 20 years old may attend the event. Many LGBTQ organizations attend and conduct outreach and facilitate activities at the prom. Everyone is welcome, and parents are encouraged to attend or volunteer in support of their children. In 2014, the director for Project Eden predicted that more than 300 youth aged 14 to 20 would be attending the prom that year. 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 The Frameline Film Festival (aka San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival) (formerly San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival; San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival) began as a storefront event in 1976. The first ...

Purpose

The Hayward Gay Prom is an alternative prom where students can celebrate without fear of discrimination. The director for Project Eden stated, "It's a needed event because the young people need a place to go to where they feel safe and accepted".

Controversy

When the event was first established, people in opposition of the prom sported homophobic signs and wore rubber gloves and masks, a common anti-gay protest tactic utilized in the '90s. Local law enforcement and older LGBTQ members had to stand in between protesters and the prom attendees. Attendees were forced to run inside the event, and some kids opted not to attend the prom in order to avoid harassment they experienced in school from students and teachers. When the organization changed the location of the prom the number of protesters decreased, and for the first time at the 20th annual Hayward Gay Prom there were zero protesters. The overall acceptance and support for the event and the community is increasing.

References

External links

WebsiteNow We Can Dance
{{LGBT LGBT culture in the San Francisco Bay Area History of Hayward, California 1995 establishments in California Annual events in California LGBT events in California Organizations based in Hayward, California Youth culture in the United States Culture of Hayward, California Youth events Youth in the United States School dances Recurring events established in 1995 LGBT youth Prom