Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) held a “Queer Prom” for LGBTQ+ and allied youth on May 10. The event allowed the commingling of minors with adults, as it was specifically open to people “ages 14-24.” The expressed purpose of the Queer Prom was allowing attendees to experience “queer joy and engage with community resources.”
No mention was made by PLU if underage attendees were allowed to dance with adult attendees or not.
The event was co-sponsored by the Tacoma-based LGBTQ youth group Oasis Youth Center. Along with activities and prizes, one of the more striking resources available at the event was “free HIV testing.”
The theme for the prom was “Detective Dance: The Case of the Horse Heist. This was also a whodunit activity, which consisted of finding a stolen horse. Attendees were encouraged to dress on theme.
Campus Reform, which first reported on this story, noted, “The sign-up sheet for the dance asked attendees to list information including personal pronouns and offered 8 specific options for sexual orientation and 7 different genders to choose from.”
According to its website, “Oasis Youth Center is the only organization responding to the unique needs of queer youth in Pierce and surrounding counties.”
The organization further says it “empowers youth by providing a safe space for them to gather outside of school hours, offering support from adult role models and mentors, activities with peers and opportunities for personal growth, access to education, information, resources, and support necessary for making meaningful and healthy life choices and developing leadership skills to thrive in their communities.”
Campus Reform also received a statement from the Washington State Department of Health confirming that the “Oasis Youth Center is… a grant recipient from the Department of Health’s Commercial Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP) and the Cannabis Prevention and Education Program (CPEP).”
