NWPA Pride Prom Holds Court for the Authentic Self

Alex Sphon

Pride Prom, executed by NWPA Pride Alliance, gives folks in the LGBTQIA community the opportunity to attend prom in a way that feels more authentic. Many queer students missed out on the prom they wanted to have and Pride Prom provides the opportunity to correct it.

SATURDAY, MAY 25

A lot of people didn't get to experience their prom like they wanted to, especially members of Erie's Queer/LGBTQIA+ community. As the unwanted social masks of high school fade away, some adults are finally living far closer to their truth.

"A lot of us didn't get to go to prom with the partner that we wanted or as the gender that we wanted or in the clothes that we wanted," explained Alex Sphon, president of the NWPA Pride Alliance.

That's what inspired the organization to host the Pride Prom. Taking cues from similar events happening in surrounding cities, the local nonprofit set up the event last year at the Ambassador Banquet & Conference Center's Garden Atrium and Terrace to great success.

Seeing it as the kickoff to the organization's hectic Pride season, Sphon noted that "we foresee it being an annual event to give queer adults a space to gather that is outside of the bar scene that is fulfilling an experience that most of us didn't get when we were in high school."

With over 150 tickets sold, the organizers saw the importance of an event like this, seeing parents excitedly drop off their adult children there, or even attend the event with them.

The NWPA Pride Prom will be an inclusive place where guests can dress up and celebrate who they really are. While formality is encouraged (e.g. no jeans, please), there isn't a strict dress code, and Sphon was quick to recognize that not everyone can afford a tuxedo or a ball gown, and above all noted that guests should come as they feel comfortable. "Our big goal is to keep it affordable for members of our community, so that they can come out and kind of fulfill a memory that a lot of queer individuals didn't get in high school."

With DJ Dave Rapp there, hors d'oeuvres available, hired security, as well as a cash bar for guests 21 and over and a special photo section, the event is all set to go. "We forgo the crowning of a king or queen because that's kind of irrelevant when you're an adult," Sphon laughed.

To attend, make sure you purchase your tickets one week before the event, by the deadline of May 18.

7 to 11 p.m. // The Ambassador Banquet & Conference Center, Garden Atrium and Terrace, 7794 Peach St. // $30 // Ages 18+ // For tickets, follow the link on facebook.com/NWPAPride, and for more information, go to nwpapride.org