Queer Families of Livingston County to host pride prom in June

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — In an ongoing effort to make Livingston County a welcoming place for all people, Queer Families of Livingston County is organizing the county's first Pride Prom as it celebrates its one year anniversary.

Pride Prom will take place from 7-10 p.m. Friday, June 23, at the Howell Opera House.

Queer Families of Livingston County was founded last year at the Livingston County Pride Parade in order to provide a space for non-traditional families in the area.

According to board member Chelsea Steinhauser, most of the participants are families with young kids, so the group meets once a month for socializing and kids' activities. The organization also works with alliance clubs in schools, runs a 4-H camp and holds a "Conversations of Concern" program where people can ask questions about the queer community without judgment.

“About a year ago at pride, we got together and met a another two-mom family and through a conversation with them, we realized that there was a need within Livingston County for just some opportunities for families like ours to get together and build a community and socialize and allow our children to kind of hang out with other kids and families that look very similar to theirs,” Steinhauser said.

Since much of their work is based around young kids and families, Steinhauser said the organization wanted to do something to make teens feel connected and supported, which is why they chose to host Pride Prom.

The alliance clubs got to choose the theme — masquerade — but all of the planning will be left to the adults. Teens ages 14 to 19 are allowed to attend and can expect dancing, crafts and prizes. Unlike traditional prom, there is no dress code, so teens can wear what they’re comfortable in.

“The outpouring of support from the community has been amazing,” Steinhauser said. “We've got more volunteers than we have jobs for.”

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Local businesses have also supported the event through sponsorships, offering gift cards to be raffled off and providing decorations. The current list of sponsors includes Dragonfly Emporium, Art in Bloom and Michigan Psychological Care.

If all goes well, Steinhauser said they are hoping to make this an annual event and host it in different parts of the county every year.

Additional information and tickets can be found on the organizations website, qflivco.org.

— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @Tess_journalist.