Music resonated, colorful lights flashed and people danced throughout the Student Union Ballroom in 1920s-inspired fashion.
Black, white, silver and gold adorned the room with the addition of punch bowls in every color of the rainbow. The fashion was not the only distinctive thing about this event. The celebration and decorations were all in the name of “The Gay Gatsby,” a roaring 20s-style themed prom put together by StandOUT for the LGBTQ+ community at Southeastern.
Many students of StandOUT, Southeastern’s student-run LGBTQ+ society, gay-straight alliance and activist organization decided to have a big event.  The group wanted a big event in order to declare their existence to more students as well as promote an environment for people of their community to have fun in a safe environment and give some people the prom they have always wanted.
Nicholas Shipman, a nursing major, further delved into reasons for hosting the event.
“[We hosted it] for two reasons, mostly,” said Shipman. “First reason is because in high school it’s always been an issue where the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t allowed to participate in prom as an equal, because they weren’t allowed to bring their girlfriend, boyfriend or whoever, or even dress the way they wanted to. So this is a chance for them to relive the opportunity the right way. The second reason is because we’ve been around for quite a few years, and we felt that it’s been about time that we should start pulling our own events so we can spread the word that we exist, and we’re here for everyone.”
For some it was an event that made a statement for the rest of the campus.
“It’s a dance for equality, and it promotes acceptance for everyone no matter if you’re gay, bi or straight,” said Matthias Fowler, a fashion marketing major.
Those in attendance were happy about the prom having such a positive environment. The attire and attitudes people presented were enough to set this particular dance apart from many others.
“Everyone had a lot of fun,” said Austin Cradic, president of StandOUT. “Everyone took the ’20s style and put their own style into it as well, like some people wore rainbow suspenders. I wore a skirt and a punk rock looking bowtie so I think everyone had a lot of fun expressing themselves.”
Faculty members showed up to support students and encourage them to be themselves.
“I wouldn’t have missed this event for anything,” said Rebecca Hensley, instructor of sociology. “For one thing it brings an opportunity for people to come out and be exactly who they want to be on this particular day, and it’s fun to be exactly who we are at that moment. That’s something we don’t always get to do, but more importantly we don’t always feel safe to do. Making it possible for people to have a good time, be who they are and feel safe all simultaneously on our campus is an important way for us to make the point that we have a commitment to that. It’s a good thing to have a commitment for everybody being able to be who they are and not just certain people. So that’s awesome, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Overall many people agreed the dance was a success and left having had a good time expressing themselves, meeting new people and dancing.
StandOUT is planning to host the LGBTQ-friendly prom again next year and encourages more people to participate.
Those interested in joining StandOUT should email the officers at [email protected].