The Prom I Always Wanted

Steve Weiss

June 3, 1983. I’m eighteen years old,
wearing a rented white tuxedo and
scuffed white vinyl rented shoes. Pinned
to my lapel: a red rose boutonniere. Be-
side me, a full arm’s length away, in the
back seat of a rented white limo my Mom
sprang for, a young woman I barely
know, plain, quiet, her hands folded In
her lap. I stare out the side window think-
ing, “What am I doing here?”

The car pulls into the crescent driveway
of the Parkview Hilton. The chauffeur
opens the door for us to get out. Sliding
across the velvet seat, Carol (my prom
date) catches a white heel in the hem of
her borrowed navy blue polyester gown.
Awkwardly she stumbles onto the red
carpeted sidewalk and I step on her foot
as I obliviously slide out behind her.
Ouch! Excuse me. I walk inside, my
hands sunk deep in my pockets.

We find the banquet room the senior
prom committee rented and present the
prom tickets Carol paid for at the door.
(Sure she paid for them. She asked me to
the prom.) The band, Hartford, plays the
prom’s theme song, “We’ve got tonight,
who needs tomorrow, let’s make it last,
1et’s find a way. Turn off the lights, come
take my hand now, we’ve got tonight
babe, why don’t you stay?” At first
glance a carpe diem suggestion to enjoy
the prom, but in actuality a heterosexual
plaint for a little hetero sex. While our
peers rotate in place on the dance floor,
bodies and braces locked passionately as
one, Carol and I avoid making eye con-
tact with each other sitting at the table in
the far back left comer.

May 16, 1992. I’m 27 years old, wearing
the black tails I bought at a thrift shop,
fishnet stockings, black leather hot pants
and the pointiest boots in Burlington. I
walk up Main Street to the Contois Au-
ditorium at City Hall, trot up the stairs,
white gloves and cane in hand, and enter

solo. Its stag for me tonight. Inside I see
Carol; she’s calling herself Thunder these
days, wearing a white tuxedo and a red
rose boutonniere. She’s holding hands
with her girlfriend Moonwater who
presents their tickets to the man with the
beehive hairdo at the entrance to the
OUTRIGHT Prom, The Way You Al-
ways Wanted It to Be!

Yes, it’s true, now is your chance to re-
claim that time in your life when you did
it their way. A chance to cut loose, get
funky and have a great time in a healthy
way. The OUTRIGHT Prom, The Way
You Always Wanted it to Be! is (as is the
case with all OUTRIGHT events) a chem-
free bash for lesbian, gay, and bisexual
people of all ages and appearances. There
will be scrumptious refreshments, ecstatic
dancing, prizes for outstanding Kings and
Queens, and even a photographer to pro-
vide you with that special keepsake to
paste in your scrapbook. Dress to express
yourself in creative formal attire. Dare to
be different, break a few rules. Experience
the dry-mouthed, stomach-clenched ex-
citement of asking out a date, or come
alone like the rebel, the maverick you’ve
always wanted to be.

For even more fun, volunteer to help
OU'I'RIGHT’s fundraising committee to
put the party together. For ticket in-
formation or to volunteer, call OUT-
RIGHT at 865-9677.

And, by the way, if you don’t want to go
the the prom because you just don’t
dance, that’s no excuse. OUTRIGHT is
offering the “Would You Like to Dance”
dance lessons, every other Saturday start-
ing March 14 from 6:30-8 p.m., also at
the Contois. After your lessons in jit-
terbug, contra dancing, ballroom dancing
and more, you can be sure you’ll have the
moves to boogie on down at the prom.
Tickets are available through OUT-
RIGHT or at the Peace and Justice Cen-
ter’s Peace on Earth Store. V

 

March 1992