On May 6, the fifth annual Chicago Public Schools LGBTQ Students and Allies Prom took place at Lake View High School. The event, which CPS ( Chicago Public Schools ) largely sponsors, included students from suburban and private schools as well as allies and chaperones.
The students, some of whom attended in drag, were treated to a full-course dinner and a night of participation and entertainment with Precious Davis as emcee and performances by Khloe of the Kit Kat Lounge. Davis, the assistant director of diversity recruitment at Columbia College who has served as youth outreach coordinator a the Center on Halsted, encouraged the crowd to "always be yourself" before leading a massive and spirited stepping session.
As the night went on and the dance floor filled, the students danced to a varied but queer-flavored soundtrack that included songs by Queen, Lady Gaga, Prince, Styx and Sam Smith.
The event, which was co-founded and coordinated by Noa Padowitz and A.J. Wieselman, takes place at a different school every year, with 25 schools in Chicago and outlying areas participating. Among the schools with a presence at this edition were Corliss High School, Foreman High School, Phoenix Military Academy School and Alcott High School. The participating organizations at the tabling session before the dance included Howard Brown Health, Planned Parenthood, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, ChicagoWearsCondoms.com and Center on Halsted.