NOVA Pride Prom is open to all High School students in Northern Virginia and neighboring counties (DC, Montgomery County, etc), and up to one 13-20 year guest.
THEME: PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD
Pride Prom is an opportunity for gender and sexual minority youth to attend a prom with pride, dress however they are most comfortable, and dance without fear with whomever they choose! Our LGBTQ+ student leadership team has chosen Pride Around the World as their theme, to represent Northern Virginia's diver...
NOVA Pride Prom is open to all High School students in Northern Virginia and neighboring counties (DC, Montgomery County, etc), and up to one 13-20 year guest.
THEME: PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD
Pride Prom is an opportunity for gender and sexual minority youth to attend a prom with pride, dress however they are most comfortable, and dance without fear with whomever they choose! Our LGBTQ+ student leadership team has chosen Pride Around the World as their theme, to represent Northern Virginia's diversity and the international growth of LGBTQ+ equality - while empathizing on the tragedies and senseless violence toward transgender persons around the world.
Last year, NOVA Pride's first NOVA Pride Prom proudly hosted over 300 youth from nearly 35 high schools spanning 5 counties! NOVA Pride Prom's mission is to provide the region's LGBTQ+ youth (and their friends!) with a magical experience, that rivals the traditional school proms while ensuring a welcoming and safe atmosphere. We find it unacceptable that any youth feel excluded from the prom experience without compromising their true selves.
Our Pride Prom is unique, in that it is both celebratory and educational. In addition to a dinner (new for 2018!) and dance, we also ensure that a quieter space is made available for students that need to take a break, as well as connect with LGBTQ-affirming organizations that provide social, medical and mental health support to youth in Northern Virginia and beyond. For many of the youth that attend, NOVA Pride Prom is their first large social event, which can be an overwhelming experience - especially for those with anxiety or PTSD; in order to ensure a wonderful night for all, we have mental health professionals on-location as chaperones and event organizers.
NOVA Pride Prom is a non-profit event, and all money is raised through student fundraisers, ticket sales, and support from NOVA Pride and other sponsors. We welcome and depend on donations to make dreams come true. This event benefits LGBTQ+ youth by providing a safe, affirming, and validating experience - showing that they are supported and valued by the Northern Virginia community at a time when many feel lost and scared. The letters we've received from students after attending are heartwarming, describing the prom as "life-changing," "life-saving," and "the best night of their lives" - and also heart-wrenching, sometimes describing the contrast between the experience they have outside the event. Our adult volunteer chaperones and venue staff say they've never seen so many youth "enter the dance as scared strangers, and leave as confident friends."
Please consider making a one-time donation to support this incredible event, or creating a personal fundraising page to encourage your friends and family to support the event, by visiting the NOVA Pride Prom Fundraising Page at http://bit.ly/fundprideprom2018.
To setup monthly support for this and other NOVA Pride initiatives, please visit the NOVA Pride fundraising page at https://nova-pride.networkforgood.com/projects/5052-nova-pride.
