Amidst prom preparations for the seniors of Wayland High School, another type of dance is taking place this Friday, March 18. The annual Natick GSA Dance is being held Friday evening, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Natick High School (NHS). The dance, which marks NHS’ ninth annual, will serve as a safe place for LGBTQ+ students to have fun and just be themselves.

“The GSA Dance is kind of what’s known as a ‘lavender prom’,” Wayland High School’s Alliance Club adviser Kassie Wright said. “[It’s] pretty much just a bunch of queer people having a chance to have a dance to themselves.”

Although anyone and everyone is welcome to attend the dance, the main purpose of this event is to offer LGBTQ+ high school students a school dance experience just for themselves. The dance is meant to serve as a place where these students can feel comfortable being themselves, and where they can enjoy themselves without having to worry about being judged or what others may think of them.

“It’s just a chance where you can feel comfortable dancing with the person you like,” Wright said. “If you’re dancing with someone of the same sex, no one’s gonna stare at you and be like ‘ooh, ooh.’ It’s just a more comfortable, chill atmosphere.”

The dance is being run by Natick’s GSA, which stands for the Natick Gender & Sexuality Alliance. This dance, which has been running for almost a decade, is open to 30 or so schools in the MetroWest area, including high school GSAs from both public and private schools, as well as LGBTQ+ youth focused organizations.

The fact that the dance is mainly held by and for LGBTQ+ people contributes to the safe environment where students feel able to be themselves. As the event is generally presented to the Alliance and GSA clubs of nearby schools, as well as LGBTQ+ youth organizations, the dance tends to create an environment of students who are LGBTQ+ themselves, and who may feel similarly to each other, and have many things in common.

“[This gives] students opportunities to meet other LGBT2QIA+ youth and feel accepted in a social setting,” Natick High School’s GSA adviser Amanda Egan said. “Students should attend because there is an opportunity to meet [other] people who are loving, accepting, fun and friendly.”

Wayland High School students had the opportunity to sign up for this dance by signing a permission slip that could be received from Wright in the media center. Those who have signed up, mostly consisting of students in the Alliance Club, have noted their excitement about the upcoming event.

“This is a good event for students to go to, especially students like me, because going to a typical school-sanctioned dance always feels a bit off,” an anonymous WHS student and Alliance Club member said. “Gay people are not in the majority, and the thing with the GSA Dance is that it’s nice to have a place where you feel included.”

The dance also features an optional special theme. The themed element, in part meant to add another component of fun, can also help students feel more comfortable experimenting in wearing something different that they feel good in. This year, the dance has a Renaissance and Royal Fantasy theme, prompting many students to go all-out on the costume design.

“[The dance] is also cool because it has a Renaissance theme,” the anonymous student said. “I’m dressing as a dragon. It’s going to be awesome.”

The upcoming dance in Natick has also prompted Wayland students to wonder whether or not a similar thing could be achievable in the Wayland School District. The fact that Natick High School has successfully run such a dance for nine years has inspired some students at WHS to seek out such an event for themselves.

“It’s just interesting how we have to go to Natick for this,” the anonymous student said. “Like, could we get Wayland to do [a similar event] someday? Because right now, the Natick dance is not something that’s really out in the public. I’m pretty sure that Ms. Wright and the other people at [WHS] who helped with the GSA Dance only notified the [WHS] GSA. So, it’s not like the whole school knows it’s happening.”

Regardless of the location of the dance, LGBTQ+ students and staff alike look forward to this year’s GSA Dance. Whether for the chance to receive a school dance just for them, or for getting the opportunity to truly be themselves or even just for a night to dance and have fun, many can’t wait to dress up and go out this Friday.

“For many students, for the first time during this event, they have the opportunity to explore expressing themselves differently,” Egan said. “By wearing clothing, accessories and makeup in a setting that is outside of the academic classroom where they otherwise might not feel comfortable doing so, students have the chance to step out of their comfort zone and make potential long lasting friendships.”

This story was originally published on Wayland Student Press on March 18, 2022.