Students reclaim lost milestone at first Pride Prom

More than 175 students attended Cornell’s inaugural Pride Prom, which was hosted by Haven, Cornell’s LGBTQ+ student union. The prom, which took place on May 12 in Willard Straight Hall, allowed the community at Cornell to reclaim a milestone they may have missed.

“A lot of people missed out on meaningful things due to the pandemic: graduations, birthday parties, proms,” said Logan Gibbs-Porter ’24, incoming co-president of Haven. “Others in the community may not have felt included in their proms at home. As we were planning and hearing that from people, it hit me that this was a much-needed opportunity for people to try again, or to come out to themselves by themselves. They could finally do it their way.”

At the Pride Prom, students posed for photos with friends or partners in front of woodland-themed backgrounds. A DJ played anthems and classics, and a band performed live music. Students took plates of food onto the terrace to watch the sunset.

“It’s a pleasure and privilege to get to work with such passionate students,” said Cortney Johnson, Haven co-adviser and director of the LGBT Resource Center. “Their vision of what their community needs is clear, and they work hard to implement that vision. We are very lucky that it’s our job to support them, and I can’t wait to see what next year holds.”

Read the full story "Students reclaim lost milestone at first Pride Prom" on the Cornell Chronicle.