Pride
Prom
provides
safe
space
for
gay
youth
to
party
YouthPride
continues
its
tradition
of
providing
a
safe
space
for
gay
youth
to
join
in
the
Pride
celebration
with
this
year’s
annual
YouthPride
Prom,
held
at
the
Civic
Center’s
Rainbow
Center
on
July
4.
“It’ll
be
a
fun
thing
for
folks
to
do
on
July
4,”
says
John-Paul
Griffin,
YouthPride’s
director
of
programs.
This
year’s
Prom
entertainment
roster
includes
the
winners
of
the
2008
Mr.
and
Mrs.
YouthPride
competition,
plus
a
variety
of
other
yet-to-be-named
Atlanta
talent.
Griffin
says
the
goal
for
the
event
is
to
provide
a
fun
place
for
youth
to
celebrate
without
worry.
“Pride
Prom
was
started
so
that
any
gay,
lesbian,
bisexual,
or
transgender
youth
could
feel
like
they
had
an
opportunity
to
go
to
a
prom
where
they
don’t
have
to
worry
about
what
they
wear
or
who
they
go
with,”
he
says.
“The
event
in
the
last
couple
of
years
has
attracted
young
people
from
all
over
the
southeast,
and
as
with
Pride,
it’s
just
another
really
great
addition
to
the
lineup
of
events.
It’s
exclusively
for
queer
young
people,
and
it’s
drug
and
alcohol
free.
It’s
a
fun,
safe
space.”
Also
on
YouthPride’s
event
lineup
for
Pride
is
the
YouthPride
entertainment
block,
taking
place
on
Atlanta
Pride's
Bud
Light
stage.
Previous
years
have
included
spoken
word
and
dance
acts
to
musical
performances,
and
Griffin
expects
to
continue
that
tradition
this
year.
—
Rob
Beck
MEGA
Pride
fun
for
the
whole
family
MEGA
Family
Project
will
offer
plenty
of
children’s
activities
at
the
Family
Center.
(File
photo)
The
Civic
Center
location
allows
the
family
events
at
Atlanta
Pride
to
be
held
indoors,
and
MEGA
Family
Project
takes
over
the
Family
Center
duties
from
the
Pride
committee
this
year.
Kathy
Kelly
of
MEGA
says
that
the
high
level
of
quality
activities
for
kids
and
families
who
attended
Pride's
Family
Center
in
the
past
will
remain
the
same.
Pride
organizers
approached
Kelly
about
MEGA
Family's
interest
in
running
the
center
this
year.
“This
is
new
for
us,
[maintaining]
a
family
center
and
a
booth.”
Kelly
says.
“It'll
be
a
bit
of
a
stretch,
but
we
can
manage.”
The
relocation
of
Pride
to
the
Civic
Center
was
a
major
reason
in
Mega
Project's
willingness
to
operate
the
family
activities.
“Families
with
small
children
cannot
be
out
in
the
heat
and
sun
for
long,”
Kelly
says.
Kelly
assures
that
there
will
be
plenty
for
kids
12
and
under
and
their
families
to
do
and
stay
entertained.
“We
will
have
games,
carnival
style
games,
arts
and
crafts,
story-time
and
plenty
of
family
activities,”
Kelly
says.
The
Family
Center
will
be
located
in
the
Piedmont
Room
inside
the
Civic
Center.
—
Rory
Parker
The
following comments were posted by our readers and were
not edited by SOVO. We ask that you
treat others with respect; any post deemed offensive will
be removed.
