Looking Back: My Prom

Eden Cafe: Let Constance Have Her Prom



If you haven't heard about Constance McMillen and her battle to be able to take her girlfriend to the Prom, then you either live under a rock or are just oblivious. Hearing about her story and her struggle to be allowed to bring her girlfriend to prom as her date makes me think back to my prom and my exposure to the community.

I have many Gay/Lesbian/CD/Trans/Gender Queer friends and associates and i love them all and accept them all into my circles of friends.  One of my friends stands out, and her name was Andy (true name omitted for privacy).  She is an amazing young woman, full of light and energy, and always gave hugs to strangers.  That was her trademark and how i met her.  She just came up to me one day at lunch and said, "you need a hug," and gave me a big bear hug there and then in the middle of a crowded cafeteria.  We have been friends ever since.


It was then i started hearing more and more about my school's GSA (Gay Straight Alliance for you nimrods out there lol), and i started hanging out with members of the Alliance as well as became good friends with a few of them.  Through the years we laughed and joked and had a grand old time.

Then senior year and Prom came.

For me the Prom was bittersweet, because i couldn't take my then BF to prom because if his mother found out he was still with me, she'd have a shit fit (long story for another blog).  But this is the story of Andy.


Andy's GF was from another high school, and S was a sweet little girl, even shorter than Andy and I (We're both a little over 5'2").  Unlike Constance's high school, the GSA at CSHS was prominent in the school, holding meetings and events, as well as participating in a GLSEN-sponsored Gay Prom event.  I do recall Andy not being sure that she could wear a tux to prom, and it was a hell of a time getting a definite answer out of the Prom team and the School Administration. Eventually she was told that she could, which was very good because she wasn't the most girly girl I've ever known.


She knew that my BF couldn't come, so she said that I was more than welcome to go as a 'second date' and sit with them at the table they were going to be at.  Happily i agreed that it would be fun and that my father could provide the transportation (granted i wanted to do the whole all out limo for prom thing, but being a middle class citizen with friends grades lower and already graduate has its disadvantages).  So thus began the search for the perfect prom dress.


Which i found after trying on 1.. 2.. 3.... 4 dresses... i think? Can't rightly remember.  But THE prom dress i picked and settled on fit me perfectly and only needed a bit of hemming.

S was kind enough to help me with my makeup because i'm so bad at it, even now, and finally once everyone was ready we headed outside for more pictures with the three of us. (Faces other than mine blurred to protect privacy)

We joked that night that Andy was a pimp for having two dates.

After photos we all piled into my father's car and drove off to the hotel where our prom was held. We all had a great time and I saw multiple couples of both straight and gay/lesbian couples dancing on the slow dances.  And Andy saw me all pouty because i couldn't do a slow dance with my BF and slow danced with me, which made me smile.


All in all i had a very good prom experience and went home exhausted and happy.  I wouldnt change it for the world!