Just Dance: Inclusive Organizations Bring Fashion and Prom to LGBTQ Youth

Watermark looked at Florida groups that make formal nights possible for LGBTQ+ youth, and ALSO Youth was one of them. Executive Director Mickey Stone called ALSO Prom, held with the Out-of-Door Academy and then in its eighth year, “our biggest event of the year.” It is open to LGBTQ+ youth, friends, and allies ages 14 to 20. The last one welcomed more than 250 teens, and a closet of saved dresses and suits lets youth pick something to wear.

The 2022 prom was set for February 12 with the theme One Magical Night: cottage core decor, a courtyard dressed like a starry night, and a basketball court turned dance floor. Stone also talked about ALSO’s new one-on-one counseling with licensed therapists and ALSO Jr. for youth ages 10 to 12, so young people always know “there’s a place for them to be themselves.”