Out & About Pride Prom 2023

I'm Erin Gonzalez and I run Out & About, an LGBTQ+ social network for the American Military in the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The monthly LGBTQ+ social last night should have been one of the most exciting ones of the year for our local community. But instead of celebrating at our first Pride event of the summer, I spent most of the night discussing the discrimination that our youth are experiencing. Being military stationed overseas many activities have to be approved by the bases. While other organizations like our local homeschool group have had events approved in 3.5 business hours, events for the LGBTQ+ community are made nearly impossible. I worked with the local library to host a Paint Your Nails for Pride event, but it was denied. The 18+ drag show was approved but then canceled with no explanation on June 1st. But most heartbreaking is Pride Prom. I have been working with the offices here to get approval since March and still haven’t been granted permission to host this event and no one will give me an answer as to why.

Our kids have been planning for this since the idea first popped up in March. Dresses have been bought, themes have been voted on, and teens who have only recently begun openly living their truth have asked their real crushes to attend. They are frustrated, angry, and devastated because even when we have taken all the steps to meet the requirements the military has put in place for the LGBTQ+ community, we still haven’t been given permission to celebrate and host a Pride Prom. The only option we have left is to host the event for free so I don’t need the military’s permission to sell tickets to cover the cost.

I need your help to show our kids that no matter what the local military says, there are people who celebrate them for exactly who they are and are willing to stand up and take action when members of our community are facing discrimination. Any donation amount will get us one step closer to making our kids wishes to celebrate with a Pride Prom and allow us to create a non-profit so that as we move forward, no member of this community will be told they can’t be seen and celebrated.