Students let go of labels and discrimination as they danced the night away Thursday.
The LGBTQ Homecoming Dance took place in the Reitz Union and offered members of the LGBTQ community a second chance at a school dance.
About 50 guests gathered at purple- and white-covered tables and moved to everything from Beyonce to Madonna.
Attendees were encouraged to wear anything they felt comfortable in, from formal dresses to T-shirts and Converse sneakers.
“I just want people in the LGBTQ community to know that they are not alone and that there are activities like this for them,”said Ricky Carter, Student Government LGBTQ student affairs cabinet director. “This is a second chance for them to be comfortable at an event that they may not have enjoyed in high school.”
Carter, a sophomore theater major, grew up Catholic. Although he came out in high school, he did not feel comfortable bringing a gay date to prom. He was a member of the homecoming court and danced with girls from his school, but he planned this event so that people could attend a formal dance in any way they felt comfortable.
Christina Montana, a freshman English major, appreciated the opportunity to make her own choices at this homecoming dance.
“I wore a dress to my prom for my mom, and I had fun, but I wasn’t really comfortable,” she said.
Montana came out to her friends and some of her family as a freshman in high school, but waited until midway through her senior year to tell her mother.
At her senior prom, she felt like her high school was an exception to the judgmental rule. She remembers a girl coming in pants and a dress shirt and that students were generally accepting of her.
Montana, in her gray slacks, black vest and Converse sneakers, said she was much more comfortable at the dance than she had been at her prom.
“I love that events like these include everyone,” she said. “You don’t need to be LGBTQ to come, as long as you’re accepting.”
Carter hopes to double the number of attendees next year. The event, co-sponsored by SG and the Pride Student Union, cost less than $800. That money went toward room rental and refreshments, including a cake.
Carter said he enjoys his position as cabinet director because it gives him an opportunity to show that SG and UF as a whole are LGTBQ-friendly.
“It gives LGBTQ students a voice on campus,” he said. “If they have a problem, they can come to me and I’m their liaison. I’m here to help.”
