What’s New About Palomar’s Queer Pride Event?

SAN MARCOS – Palomar’s second Annual Pride Event is here, and this year the Pride Center is adding something new to bring the school’s community together.

This year the Queer Pride event will take place on May 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held in front of the Student Union at Palomar’s San Marcos campus. The event will include keynote speaker Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey, live performances like drag shows, and many other events. This year the Pride Center will also be hosting Palomar’s first Gay Prom, which will occur on the same day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Student Union.

“Students have been asking for a while to do a prom event… even way before COVID,” Dylan Davidson said. “A lot of students, new students, didn’t get to go to prom because of COVID.”

During the height of COVID-19, schools across the nation had to turn to distance learning as well as canceling school events. Because of this, many high school students didn’t have the option to go to prom and felt as if they had missed out on a significant high school experience.

“What I’m excited about is getting to give the students something that I never had,” Davidson said. “I didn’t go to prom when I was in high school because I wasn’t out, and I didn’t feel safe going to it. So I think giving students the opportunity to dress up and wear makeup. And if their clothes don’t match their gender identity on a regular basis, they can dress up and feel like themselves for a night.”

Not only do these events give students a chance to express themselves through fashion, but it also allows them to show off their creativity. Riley Minteer, a Palomar student, and Pride Center member, will be the event DJ and has created a set to highlight LGBTQ+ artists and icons.

“I think that one of the biggest things to communicate is the way that music and pride go together,” Minteer said. “Artists, creators, and creative people have always been an underlying part of the queer community… and about the connection, and about joy and creation.”

Minteer is creating his set to match the theme of the event, “Pride through the decades,” and he will be featuring music from the 60s to now. Artists featured in the set include Madonna, Queen, Judy Garland, Prince, David Bowie, and more. Minteer is excited to share his performance and the rest of the event with all other students at Palomar.

“I would love to invite everyone… no matter if they’re LGBTQ or just an ally,” he said. “I want people to know that this event is open for everybody. Everyone is welcome.”

To learn more about the event, visit Palomar Pride Center’s website or the center in room ST-72 at Palomar’s San Marcos campus.