So, let's go have fun, and let's use it to remind people that we have to help those without the privilege to be thinking about prom." "They're thinking about massive traumas, life and death issues and homelessness. "This event is a good way to call attention to the fact that a lot of our kids in schools are worried about things a lot more important than prom," Rybak said. (A portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to the nonprofit organization.) But he and his wife, Megan O'Hara, will attend Promenade to raise awareness and funds for YouthLink, which works with youth experiencing homelessness across the Twin Cities. Going to a sixth isn't necessarily on his priority list. Rybak, former Minneapolis mayor and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, attended five consecutive proms when he was in high school. "Embracing an event like this kind of acknowledges that these moments are important, and creating a space where we can all go together in equal ways and celebrate who we are is really exciting," Meents said. Additionally, he said, it brings attention to the importance of having a safe and inclusive space to come of age. To Meents, Promenade represents an opportunity to recapture "the spirit of youth" and connect with others in a meaningful way.
"We were not being authentic to who we were, and so those experiences probably didn't live up to their potential for us." "So many of us were in such challenging times during high school," he said. Like Mayer and Kelly, Meents went to prom with a girl before coming out later in life. Such is the case for Ben Meents, who plans on attending the event with his husband, Chet Ritchie. "For the most part, if you're older than your mid 20s, you probably didn't take your same-sex boyfriend or girlfriend to the prom," Mayer says. Promenade welcomes people of all identities, but Mayer and Kelly expect that it will resonate particularly with other LGBTQ adults who might have had similar prom experiences.
#GIRLS SHOWOFF FULL#
In true prom fashion, there will be a photo backdrop, a live DJ, dancing and even a punch bowl- with the addition of a full bar, since you have to be 21 or older to attend. The Saturday event will be held in the Dayton's Project in Minneapolis. Mayer and Kelly, lead creative director at an advertising and branding agency, are producing Promenade - an opportunity for adults to have the prom they never had. "How cool would it be, I thought, to someday go to an event like that with someone that I wanted to?" Kelly said.
Thinking about asking another boy to prom wasn't even in the realm of possibility, said Mayer. They both went to the dance with girls, but wished their experiences could have been different. Local event producers and former co-workers, Mayer and Kelly grew up gay in small Midwestern towns. It's seen as a rite of passage, a milestone of sorts, a memory maker.īut for others, including Scott Mayer and Mitch Kelly, prom is better off forgotten. For many American teenagers, prom is more than just a sweat-tinged dance floor, raging hormones and lukewarm fruit punch.
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