Queer Prom 2008 photos

The National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th, opened its doors May 23 to host ‘Queer Prom 2008: Todos Me Miran.’ The youth oriented fundraising event was organized by RadioArte to benefit Homofrecuencia, a Spanish-language radio show for Latino/a GLBT teens. This year’s prom theme, ‘Todos Me Miran,’ (translated as ‘Everyone Looks at Me’) was inspired by Mexican singer Gloria Trevi, who has used the song to empower fans who have felt ostracized for being different. For some, this year’s prom gave them an opportunity to attend their first same-sex prom. In addition, in an effort to create an all-inclusive safe space, the museum converted male and female bathrooms into gender-neutral ones. To capture being at the prom, attendees purchased a professional portrait as a memento. Two raffle winners each took home a pair of tickets to see Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzman, who are set to perform separately at the Congress Theatre in June. Homofrecuencia airs Monday, 7-9 p.m. at 90.5 FM Radio Arte Chicago or on the Internet from anywhere in the world. Photos and text by Emmanuel Garcia