Queer Events (QE) started online in the fall of 2016 with our website QueerEvents.ca. Creating and maintaining this site provides unique insight and knowledge regarding existing programs, services and opportunities currently available to queer folks within the London community.&

It wasn't long before QE grew into a community organization providing monthly programs and initiatives aimed at creating a strong, welcoming and accessible LGBT2Q+ community for everyone.

We wanted to ensure that our first event based initiative would make an immediate impact, create lasting opportunity, and provide acceptance for all queer folks regardless of identity while also ensuring the core of the event was social with a fun and positive theme.

With the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, ultimately, it was decided Queer Prom for Youth was going to be our first major initiative in the local queer community.

This was just the beginning of what would go from an idea at the queer kitchen table to what may be the largest annual queer youth event in the city of London.

LGBT2Q youth everywhere face particularly challenging obstacles in life, while there are many factors and consideration that help shape all aspects of Queer Prom for youth, Accessibility and Acceptance are our main motivators. When QE started to plan this event we wanted to make sure as many youth could be comfortable attending. This meant that there needed to be as many barriers removed as possible.

Queer Prom is a free event for all LGBT2Q+ identified to attend. The entire event including live entertainment, snacks, beverages, photo booth and dj dance party is absolutely free for all to students from Grade 7-12.

Queer Prom was held at the London Children’s Museum, a fully accessible venue with automatic doors, elevator on site and the abiilty to provide gender neutral washrooms for the event. The venue is conveniently located within the city of London offering both public transit options and parking onsite. The museum is youth appropriate which ensures parents and guardians feel comfortable sending their child(ren) for an evening while also contributing to creating a positive, fun space for everyone to enjoy, the London Children’s Museum is the perfect home for Queer Prom for Youth.

The theme of Queer Prom was ‘Come As You Are’ which was chosen to encourage all youth to attend in whatever style, appearance or version of themselves that feels most comfortable expressing.

In working to create a sense of community for LGBT2Q+ youth, it was important to us that we use this particular event to include as many queer identified individuals in key roles such as lead volunteers and chaperones. We wanted to use this opportunity for youth to be able to look to the LGBT2Q+ adults around them and see themselves reflected and to know that there was a future in which they could become thriving adults participating in our community.

Queer Prom also provides lgbt2q+ youth with an opportunity to experience a sense of community. The experience of being able to walk into a room or event and find themselves surrounded by over 100 other LGBT2Q+ youth and visually see that they are not alone and that there is a larger community than their GSAs or friend circle is an important one that allows them to feel less isolated and to connect with others. This is especially important for the youth who attend from smaller communities in the London area.

Queer Events’ first Queer Prom for Youth took place on Saturday April 29th 2017, the evening was a great success, better than any of us could have expected with 125 youth in attendance along with lgbt2q+ folks and community allies who chaperoned, live entertainment and best of all we had happy and safe teenagers enjoying a sense of community.

We would like to thank our partners, the Children’s Museum and DJ Alpha Production as well as the many sponsors, performers and volunteers who helped to make this night happen.