The Rainbow Pride Union outdid itself with this year’s Second Chance Prom, a show-stopping event held on Friday in Old Union Hall, where students enjoyed the night with dancing, food and special performances. The organization, established in 1971, builds community for LGBTQ+ individuals and advocates politically for queer liberation, and these themes were prevalent throughout the night as guests mingled.

Second Chance Prom is a way for the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy a milestone that they may not have celebrated how they wanted to in high school. The night was fairytale-themed, and elements of fantasy stories were evident as the room transformed into a magical haven for guests to admire and enjoy.

Decorations ranged from an arch with white and pink flowers at the entryway and fairytale-inspired decorations, like leaf garlands with pink roses, mushrooms and butterfly decorations on the walls. Everything down to the centerpieces was inspired by the different aspects seen in fairytales, with unlit candles, fairy tattoos and bright string lights serving as the tables’ centerpieces. Souvenir picture stubs were provided at the photo booth, which was available throughout the night for guests to enjoy.

Chance Fiorisi, one of the event coordinators for Rainbow Pride Union and a senior majoring in political science in the 4+1 Master of Public Administration program, described the event’s significance.

“This is also a really nice event for people who didn’t get to come out in high school,” Fiorisi said. “It’s called Second Chance Prom because this is a chance for people to finally have their own prom.”

Freyja Harrel, an event coordinator and a freshman majoring in business administration, elaborated on the importance of having a second chance at experiencing prom.

“No matter what your identity is, no matter who you are, you deserve to have a good experience at prom or just at events in general,” Harrel said. “I know that high school is a really challenging time for a lot of people who are queer because they’re outed as others. But it’s nice to have this event to let people know that just because you don’t follow the norms, you can still have a good time, you can still feel pretty, you can still dress up.”

Guests enjoyed desserts and mocktails from the Food Co-op, a student-run organic and vegan cafe on campus. The mocktails were dubbed fairy dust and witch’s brew and made with variations of berry juices to coincide with the magical themes of the night. Gluten-free and vegan options were provided as well, with gluten-free vanilla cupcakes decorated in miniature butterflies and double chocolate chip cookies served throughout the night.

Performances by drag artists Sativa and Enigma were met with cheers and excitement from the crowd. The duo had two solo sets prepared for the event, as their outfits ranged from glittering to grunge. Enigma, in a black leather cowboy outfit, performed Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” and “Replay.” Sativa, clad in a sparkling minidress, performed renditions of Madonna’s “Fever” and Lady Gaga’s “Killah (feat. Gesaffelstein).”

In a special student performance, one of the organization’s interns dressed as Amy Winehouse and performed a rendition of “Rehab,” clad in a messy black beehive wig and her iconic winged eyeliner.

For this event, Rainbow Pride Union collaborated with Sativa, who has become known in the community for HOTBOX, a drag show.

“I’ve been posting a weekly drag show at the Legacy Lounge every Thursday, and they offered me the opportunity to come and share the love here at the University,” Sativa said of RPU.

Guests took to the dance floor and freely expressed their love and happiness among kindred spirits. Music ranged from recent pop hits like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!,” the latter of which was the highlight of the night, as the crowd performed the song’s iconic choreography. Hozier’s “Like Real People Do” served as the anthem for the night’s slow dance, and guests were given the chance to dance with their dates and friends.

Mansha Rahman, the president of Rainbow Pride Union and a junior double-majoring in art and design and Spanish, described their experience planning, preparing and executing the event.

“Running and planning this event was honestly really stressful,” Rahman said. “This was my first time as president of an organization, and so I wasn’t really sure what I was doing going into it. But it was super easy to figure out what to do with the help of the Student Association, with my treasurer Meeya. It was really stressful, it was a lot of little parts put together, but seeing it all come together and the days leading up to it were honestly the most stressful, but day of, it was super chill, I had things in place and it was the most fun thing to plan ever.”

At the end of the night, staying true to the prom tradition of crowning royalty, Emily Leighton, a senior majoring in mathematics; Carlo Pipitone, a junior majoring in biochemistry; Emma Pralle, a junior majoring in linguistics; and Jonathon Jacobson, a senior majoring in English, were crowned as this year’s Prom Court. Members of the Prom Court were nominated for their contributions to fostering LGBTQ+ community on campus.

A special giveaway was announced as the event came to a close, and students won gift baskets filled with sex toys, a Nintendo Switch, handmade goods made from student-run small businesses and banned books.

“I just want Rainbow Pride Union to continue to be a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community,” Rahman said. “We want to make sure that this is a safe space for all intersectionalities of the community, for our Black, Indigenous, people of color and anyone who really just wants to be able to experience what being in a queer community is like, cause I think it is beautiful and everyone deserves a chance to see what it is like.”