Members of the LGBTQ+ community sometimes feel alienated at their high school prom, and Scott Godwin says he and his partner want to give them another opportunity.
Godwin co-owns Bubba and Bugs Coffee Bar in Kemptville, alongside his partner Luc. The pair are organizing a “Queer Prom” event this summer, for queer people in our region who had negative experiences at their prom, or didn’t go because they felt unsafe or isolated.
Conversations with young LGBTQ+ people in our area, who said regular proms aren’t always welcoming or enjoyable, helped convince Godwin to run the event. “Luc and I both felt we’d had similar experiences back in our day,” he says.
“It’s a life marker, right? The prom is supposed to be a launching pad for the next stage, and I don’t think a lot of us realize the hole that’s there, or what you missed out on, until you look back on it later in life.”
Godwin says there’ll be a small fee to attend the event. “We’re looking at $5 for our ticket price,” he says. “We don’t want finances to be a barrier to attending.”
Talks are underway with other local businesses for things like live performances and makeup services prior to the event. “Like any school dance,” Godwin says, “we want to avoid us all looking like wallflowers and hovering around the outskirts of the dance floor through the night.”
The prom is being held at Bubba and Bugs on June 18th.