BY AJ TRAGER
FERNDALE – "I've been to two. Honestly it is a lot of fun. It's cool that it's gender inclusive and open to everybody," said Tyler Beltz, peer educator and intern/assistant to the executive director at Affirmations.
Beltz is one of many youth ages 13-20 who will attend the 2015 Pride Prom at Affirmations. The prom is set up so LGBT and ally youth can enjoy an evening of inclusivity while being young, fearless and fabulous.
This is the first year the celebration will be held the same evening as Ferndale Pride. The change was decided by the youth advisory council of the Carl Rippberger Youth Empowerment Program at Affirmations — a change that Beltz feels will benefit the LGBT youth community.
"Pride is held on a Saturday night. Especially with school winding down, no kid is going to want to be at Pride all day and then go home. Having Pride Prom on the evening of (Ferndale) Pride lowers the risk for high risk situations. Having it be on the same day, it gives a chance for youth who don't have anything to do after 10 p.m. — when everybody goes to the bar — something to do," Beltz said.
Beltz has been to two other Pride Proms hosted by Affirmations. He enjoys the atmosphere and how the event is gender inclusive and open to everybody. Pride Prom allows youth a chance to explore gender identity and expression in ways that may not be acceptable in other spaces. Youth are encouraged to be their authentic selves and will have the opportunity to run for king, queen or ace of the 2015 gender neutral prom court.
The 2015 Pride Prom will feature food, raffle prizes, a photo booth, music by DJ Tone and plenty of dancing. Admission is free and youth are encouraged to show off their Pride spirit and wear every color of the rainbow. Attendees are welcome to wear tuxedos or ball gowns; however, formal dress is not required.
Quinn, a peer educator at Affirmations finishing up his first year in high school, will attend Pride Prom for the first time. He will be working during the day for Ferndale Pride and then he plans on hitting the dance floor after the vendor booths close down for the day.
"I'm excited because I'm new to the community, so it is my first pride event. I feel it is a good opportunity to meet people," Quinn said. "I used to live in Bloomfield Hills and recently moved to Berkley. The high school has a very good LGBT supportive community and so when I moved to Berkley, I heard about Affirmations in Ferndale. There have been a lot of new resources for me to utilize."
Since he joined Affirmations and began working with Beltz and the rest of the youth advisory council, Quinn has gained knowledge on LGBT terminology and culture and has spent time training and advising his peers.
"A lot of people aren't aware of what the Metro Detroit community has to offer for people who identify as LGBT. If you don't explore the events and opportunities planned for this specific community, then you aren't sure of what is out there and you could be missing out on opportunities," Beltz suggested.
Pride Prom begins at 7 p.m. on May 30 in the Pittmann-Puckett Gallery space in Affirmations located at 290 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale.
