all 14 comments

[–]Horror-SwordfishI don't get how flairs work 17 insightful - 1 fun17 insightful - 0 fun18 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

Okay, putting aside the whole idea that 11-year-olds know if they're "queer" or not (I knew I was gay when I was younger than that but I didn't really have the words for it until probably 14 or 15), how on earth can there possibly even be enough LGBTQ+ students to have a "Queer Prom"? Even counting the handful of people that came out after high school, there were at most six gay kids at my high school, including me. What a lame prom that would have been (especially since only two of us were even out in high school).

[–]SilverWolf 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Keep in mind that "queer is on the rise." These days they say that up to 20% of kids "identify as queer." that would mean 1 in 5 students could go (assuming that statistic is true, which i don't personally). But there has definitely been an increase even in just the last few years

[–]reluctant_commenter 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

My middle school was pretty large. Gen Z LGBTQ+ identification rates are at like 15%, so that would've been well over 100 people.

Actual gay and bisexual kids? Way fewer than that, lol.

[–]julesburm1891 8 insightful - 5 fun8 insightful - 4 fun9 insightful - 5 fun -  (6 children)

Could you imagine a prom where it’s just the LGB kids? I went to a school of about a thousand. Judging by all the people who’ve come out since then, maybe 75 people would’ve been in attendance? (And almost none of my friends would’ve been able to come.) Ugh, just typing this out I’ve decided this fictional event would’ve been way too awkward to touch with a 29.5 foot pole.

[–]reluctant_commenter 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Man I'd be so curious to see who from my high school is actually LGB, lol. I was still deep in the closet in high school, in rare moments barely able to admit to myself that I was attracted to girls. I wonder how many other people there were like me.

[–]julesburm1891 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Probably more than you think. I spent most of high school sadly pining after two girls. They both came out a few years later. (As in, are actually lesbians and now married to women.) Evidently one also had a massive crush on me. It’s been a decade and I’m still a little salty that I could’ve been making out with Megan instead of sadly rereading Plath and Anna Karenina.

[–]Horror-SwordfishI don't get how flairs work 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

instead of sadly rereading Plath and Anna Karenina.

But that's like, the universal high school experience! :)

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

(As in, are actually lesbians and now married to women.)

I thought this story was going to end with them being married to each other. That's exactly the kind of shitty luck I would have had; the beautiful straight guy I had a crush on in HS gets married to the other beautiful straight guy and neither of them are me.

[–]reluctant_commenter 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Omg wow, that's crazy how that turned out! Well I'm glad they were able to come out eventually at least! I would be salty too though, hahaha.

[–]yousaythosethingsFind and Replace "gatekeeping" with "having boundaries" 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

LOL I would have gotten to attend with my gay friend without any of our other friends attending either. He and I are the opposite sex so we could go together but it wouldn’t be very gay. 😂

No one was out in my high school and I haven’t seen my yearbook in over a decade. Sometime I’d like to unearth it and play undercover gay detective.

[–][deleted] 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Going to assume that the vast majority of the people attending this queer prom are straight.

[–]reluctant_commenter 7 insightful - 3 fun7 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

[–]Wanderingthehalls 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Well this is basically incentivising the kids to identify as queer isn't it. When I was 11 I had literally never, ever had a crush on anyone. Not a real person in my life, not a celebrity, nobody. I had absolutely no idea at all what my potential sexuality would be, because age 11, I did not have one. I know that there are kids who know at that age if they are straight or gay, but I bet most kids that age really don't have a clue. But if you are going to be left out of the fun party your friends have said they are going to, it's pretty much an incentive to think, well I guess I am a bit of a tomboy, that probably means I'm queer and now you aren't left out any more.

[–]Tikiri 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Wait ... why are 11 year-old children having a prom??

Back in the day prom was a high school event, and cringe-inducingly awkward and not fun. And these young children are not even old enough to drive!😡