Prom season is on its way and it’s important that you know how to dress the part. If you’re a male you’ll want to wear a tailored tuxedo, with a tie matching the color of your dates dress, make sure you pre-order her a corsage as well to match the color. Totally kidding, who says things like this anymore.
Prom has always been the glamorous, end of school tradition for as long as I can remember. It provided the opportunity to dress up and feel stunning, confident and good about yourself before sneaking off and getting drunk prior to the long summer that was to come. In recent years people have started to question the archaic and outdated traditions behind prom, we realize now that it has become a place of judgment with many teenagers who don’t want to dress to their gender role being banned from attending their prom.
MTV News asked 12 young adults with a variety of gender identities to come together and dress up for prom as they would like. They were tasked to create that perfect Prom look that made them feel comfortable. Enjoy “This is Our Prom : A Prom to De-Gender ” below:
You’ll see everything from flowing dresses, glittery beards to stacks of costume jewelry and embellished tuxes. It’s a refreshing look at gender identity at a time when many young people feel out of place for many reasons.
I remember writing an article on a teenager from Louisiana who was banned from prom because she wanted to wear a tuxedo. Soon after she was allowed to wear the tux but why was it an issue at all? Who decides what formal wear is deemed acceptable? Who decides that certain clothes are only meant for certain body parts? I think as long as we’re dressing up, looking sparkly, fresh and formal we should all be allowed to go and be happy. It seems MTV News agrees with me.
Little by little we’re working toward acceptance when attending prom and in other areas. There are still arguments that some outfits or looks are going too far but if it’s not hurting anyone then it shouldn’t be a problem. Lucky for me I attended an arts high school and so on our special day we were all allowed to dress up, look the way we’ve always imagined in our heads and have a great time together.
Small steps towards equality is often all we ask for. Little by little we’re making changes, be open minded to things that aren’t harming you and that make another person happy. It’s time to break barriers and rejoice in acceptance.
“Happiness can exist only in acceptance.” -George Orwell
