Prom is something that most people remember fondly—a quintessentially American night of school-sponsored music, dancing and time with friends. There’s something special about prom; it makes you feel grown up before you’ve had the chance to move out. But not everyone gets that experience. 

For some queer people, prom can be a complicated event. Prom traditions like king and queen elections can enforce heteronormativity and unintentionally exclude people who aren’t straight. For transgender and gender-nonconforming students, binary dress codes can be difficult to navigate. Because of this, not every queer student gets the opportunity to attend prom in ways that feel authentic and right for them. 

Seattle U’s Meaningful Opportunity for Student Access, Inclusion and Community (MOSAIC) Center began hosting Queer Prom after COVID to provide students—queer or not—with an opportunity to show up authentically and enjoy themselves. Since then, it’s become one of the MOSAIC Center’s signature events. 

“In high school, not a lot of queer people were given the opportunity to fully and authentically be themselves,” Fourth-year Masee Anderson, president of Seattle U’s Triangle Club, said. “The idea behind it now is to celebrate who you are, to show up as you wish to and be able to experience and express yourself fully.” 

Volunteers from Triangle Club, Seattle U’s LGBTQ+ club, helped with set up for Queer Prom, decorating ADAL 116 with colorful strobe lights and posters, preparing for the prom to begin at 9 p.m. They blew up shiny silver balloons for a photo wall, threw streamers over the door and set up refreshments for partygoers. 

According to Anderson, though, the real hero of Queer Prom was the MOSAIC Center’s Graduate Program Coordinator Madi Stephens. Stephens, who also ran last year’s Queer Prom, did a great deal of work to ensure that the event was a success. 

“Madi does everything. Madi is a genius–she’s done an amazing job,” Anderson said. “I need her to get every piece of flowers she deserves. She ran [Queer Prom] like the Navy.” 

For Stephens, this year’s Queer Prom was more than just an event—it was actually part of her preparation to graduate with a Master’s of Fine Arts in arts leadership this spring. As Stephens’ time as a graduate student at Seattle U wraps up, this event will serve as a summary project for her thesis. 

“My thesis is exploring how temporary spaces are essentially like sculptural installations because I’m a sculptor. I’m viewing this physical space as a sculptor and seeing how people interact with it,” Stephens said. “Seeing the visual and performance elements of [Queer Prom], seeing it as a piece of art, is very exciting to me.” 

The night of the event, March 8, ADAL 116 was decked out with silver wallpaper and pride flags. The event wasn’t as well-attended as last year’s, which attracted over a hundred guests, but the room was far from empty—at its fullest, the room hosted about 40 people. 

Attendees showed off a variety of outfits, with clothes ranging from jorts and summer attire to floor-length dresses and suits, and enjoyed drinks and snacks while _MX, Stephens’ DJ alter ego, blasted two hours of music by pop stars like Britney Spears, Slayyyter and Troye Sivan. On the dance floor, which took up most of the room, groups of people danced, laughed and tossed balloons in a prolonged game of keep-up. 

“I have been making sure to be a part of Queer Prom since it was first hosted a few years ago,” Jasmine Vu, a fourth-year psychology major who attended and helped set up the event, said. “This year was so fun!” 

The night wrapped up with a remix of Charli xcx’s “party 4 u,” a laid-back end to an energetic evening. Attendees, many decked out with handheld pride flags, gathered in small groups on the dance floor and swayed to the music as _MX let the song fade out.