Dance away the night in the enchanted forest

Cue the DJ: On Friday, June 21, Out Network, Northwestern’s queer faculty and staff affinity group, is hosting its first-ever queer prom. Queer Northwestern faculty and staff, allies and guests are invited to gather at the at the Levy Senior Center to enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and drinks and celebrate on the dancefloor at the enchanted forest-themed event.

With commencement wrapped and the summer season and Pride Month underway, the inaugural queer prom is fitting way for Out Network members to celebrate each other and build community, according to Mandie Greenwood, a co-chair of Out Network’s events committee.

A lot of queer people, myself included, have never had a prom...”

“A lot of queer people, myself included, have never had a prom or have not had a fulfilling prom where they felt like they were their most authentic selves, so what better way to celebrate Pride Month than to throw a queer prom for our faculty, staff and guests?” said Greenwood, who is also an administrative assistant for social justice education and the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center.

Out Network will host the queer prom, which is a 21+ event, on Friday, June 21, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Levy Senior Center. Tickets, which include admission, complimentary light appetizers and two drink vouchers, can be purchased through the Norris Box Office website. There is also a “pay-it-forward” option for those who would like to donate a ticket to someone for whom cost would be a barrier. All remaining funds after basic costs are recouped will be donated to a local queer charity.

The event has been almost a year in the making, Greenwood said. It’s a partnership between several affinity groups, including Out Network Evanston, K-Proud, ARDPride and Out Network Chicago, with additional funding from the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and Women’s Center seed fund.

“We've not only built an opportunity for members to build fellowship and community, but we've built fellowship and community with our fellow affinity groups, which has been really cool,” Greenwood said.