Growing up in a hetero-normative society, many of us have had to limit our identities and perform gender expression as dictated by societal institutions right from the beginning. Be it the ‘girls don’t fight, boy don’t cry’ preaching or stringent dress codes that identify masculine and feminine as the only perceived category, these gender stereotypes and cis-centric norms exclude queer representation; making it hard to create safe and healthy environments that empower queer folks in mainstream society.
Representation and safe spaces for queer folks have been a pressing issue gaining momentum in recent years. As schools debate inculcating an LGBTQAI+ inclusive curriculum and workplaces switch to a diverse hiring process, there’s a progressive wave of change that emphasizes providing a larger platform to queer folks and passing the mic to them.
GAYSI Family is one such leading platform creating awareness about the LGBTQ community and combating stereotypes in the desi landscape centred on the lack of queer representation. Known for creating content revolving around gender and identity and hosting inclusive events, the platform is back with yet another edition of Queer Prom Night at Club Pandora, Mumbai on 16 April 2022.
Upon being quizzed about the much-anticipated event, Sakshi (founder of GAYSI) revealed, ‘‘The idea behind it was nothing like your average prom. Growing up, we all considered farewell parties and graduation events as a rite of passage that signified something in our lives. Stepping towards opening a safe space for queer lives to celebrate their identity and express their authentic selves, the queer prom night event will allow gay people who may not have had a good experience at their high school farewell events, to get a second chance.’’
Organizing an inclusive prom event that lets people enjoy themselves and have a good time being their authentic selves without focusing on traditional gender roles seems to be the aim of the event. The Euphoria themed event is set to be headlined by Mikhail Cazi, a Desi queer singer, instrumentalist and producer from Mumbai whose groovy bass lines, electric vocals, and lyrically strong music deals with queer themes like self-expression, freedom, and the idea of a ‘chosen’ family.
Channel your inner popstar as you get your dancing shoes on and go extra on the glam as you prep for the Euphoria themed queer prom night that is set to be a raging celebration of queer expression and individuality.
Get your tickets here.
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