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SUA hosts welcoming dance experience for LGBTQ+ students with annual 'Queer Prom'
Contributed photo
Students dance at last year's Queer Prom event at the Union.
Contributed photo
Contributed photo Tickets from last year's Queer Prom, which was themed "Over the Rainbow."
▶ COURTNEY BIERMAN
@courtbierman
Student Union Activities will host the second annual Queer Prom next Friday, April 14, at the Union. This year, SUA teamed up with Spectrum KU to put on an "Alice in Wonderland"-themed event meant to provide an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ students and Lawrence community members.
SUA member Autumn
Crafton said Queer Prom is reminiscent of traditional high school dances, but with less heteronormativity. Refreshments, decorations, a photobooth and a DJ will all be on hand, just like at a senior prom.
Crafton said LGBTQ+ students feel less safe on campus than they did at this time last year, making this year's dance more important.
"I think that right now it's very, very important to
be supporting the LGBTQ+ community at KU," Crafton said. "There have been some instances in this past school year — even in the past semester — that I think have really impacted marginalized students and how safe they feel on campus."
About 150 attended the first-ever Queer Prom at the University, a number which Crafton said expects to increase this year - thanks, in part, to an increased decorations budget.
"With any inaugural event, you don't quite have as many attendees as you would hope, so I think with this year, just because people went to it last year, people kind of know what it's about," she said.
Spectrum KU, an LGBTQ+ student group, also has a hand in this year's festivities. Spectrum president Rayfield Lawrence said Queer Prom also provides an opportunity for those unfamiliar with LGBTQ+ issues, as the event is open to people of all sexualities and genders.
"This is the perfect opportunity for people to see how we live our lives," Lawrence said.
Spectrum members are helping to get the word out about the dance and encourag as many people to attend as possible.
"We have lives, and we love the same way everyone else does, and it shouldn't matter who our president is
or what he says, we're still going to live our lives," Lawrence said.
Queer Prom in Wonderland: A Mad Hatter's Ball will be from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Kansas Union Ballroom. Tickets are $5 with a valid KU ID and $8 for the general public. Attendees must be 18 years or older.
- Edited by Ashley
Hocking
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and also a researcher on the project. She said that the most interesting finding is the cycle of policy implementation.
"It's a period of forceful policy bursts, followed by a
very lax period," she said. "Some local officials may not choose to strictly follow the central policies."
One of the most shocking things Kennedy found during his research were the stories from unregistered girls and what their lives were as non-citizens.
"They talked about how they were moved to another village to be hidden and everyone knew who they were and would call them the 'nonexistent ones,'" Kennedy said. "When they finally got registered at 18, they all of a sudden felt they could be seen."
Chen said she would like the research to contribute a different perspective on how policies are implemented.
"People think China is very strong on policy and a suppressive regime, but local officials may not always follow the central policy
and we want to shed light on that," Chen said.
Kennedy said he hopes that when people read about the research, they see how the numbers and things that are observed in China are much more complex than what is reported in the news.
"Beyond the numbers, there are stories and assumptions that we need to be aware of," he said. "I want them to get a sense that, beyond the numbers, we need to look at assumptions."
- Edited by Erin Brock
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