PRIDE PROM IS PRESENTED BY THE TRIANGLE PROGRAM AND SUPPORTING OUR
YOUTH. HOSTED BY ADAMO RUGGIERO AND FEAT DJ WINNIE. JUNE 24, 8PM. $10.
BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE, 12 ALEXANDER. WWW.SOYTORONTO.ORG.
Pride Prom is the end-of-year celebration and graduation party for LGBTQ high-school students in Toronto. With guys in prom dresses and girls in tuxes, the queer youth event thankfully flips the traditional Fairweather script. We caught up with two attendees who are interpreting this year’s “Fairy Tale” theme with their own stylish bents.
WHO: Mickie McCartney (pictured above), 16, Etobicoke School of the Arts ’09.
OUT-FIT:
Cinched high-waist gothic punk dress from Borderline Plus (425 Queen
W., 416-408-1780) with red bra from Black Market (319 Queen W.,
416-591-7945) peeking out is just a facet of McCartney’s self-described
“ADD” style. Having just come out last year as bi-identified, she’s
approaching the fairy-tale theme less from a fantasy standpoint and
going all out in a style she says is more about increasing her
confidence. “It kind of ties in with the [sexual] experimentation of
the [LGBTQ] community,” she says. “You don’t know who you are and for
people who are experimenting with sexuality at this age, everyone is
trying out new identities. So instead of saying I’m this or I’m that,
give it all a try and figure it out for yourself.” She’s proud of
events like Pride Prom because they “bring the community together so
that kids who otherwise might feel ostracized at school or at home can
come and meet other people they can relate to.”
WHO: Tycoda Gilecki, 19, Inglenook Community School ’08.
OUT-FIT: “When I found out [Pride Prom] was a fairy tale theme, I thought, ‘Well, what’s a fairy tale without the villain?’ So for inspiration I took pieces from different Disney villains — the Queen from Snow White, Ursula [from The Little Mermaid].” The final product is purely thrown-together basement finds (with the exception of purchased purple tights). Having grown up in the Jane-Finch community, Gilecki struggled to find a queer-positive space. But it was his first Pride Prom that inspired him to come out; this is now the fourth one he’s attended and the second one at which he’s volunteered. Last year, he was even crowned Prom Queen. His modest take on the victory? “I had really hot pink hair.” Gilecki’s Pride Prom involvement stems from his frustration with a lack of youth-focused Pride events. “You have the parade, but then you have a lot of bars that you can’t get into. Pride Prom is telling [queer youth] that it’s OK to be in high school and [still] be involved [with the festivities].”