On June 12, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. high school students from across Howard County will gather at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center for the 2026 Pride Prom. Pride Prom is open to all Howard County students who are allies or part of the LGBTQIA+ community. This year’s theme is Into Wonderland, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s tale of self-discovery.
The annual event is fairly new, beginning three years ago in response to student requests. LGBTQIA+ Initiatives Specialist Daniel DuPuis was the key player in bringing the vision to life, but she emphasized in an interview with the Wingspan that it was a student-driven project.
With a fancy venue, formal dress, and music, Pride Prom has the usual attributes of a school dance, but students can expect a very different experience. Proms are normally available to juniors and seniors only, consisting of students from only one school.
This event, however, is open to all grades, as well as students who attend private school or are homeschooled. According to DuPuis, in addition to a typical dance floor, there will be crafts, games, trivia, an escape room, and quiet spaces to sit and talk.
For some students, another key difference from other proms is the safe space it creates.
“[I]n some schools students don’t feel comfortable being themselves,” Steven Parker, one of Centennial’s Media Specialists, said. Not all environments are affirming to all identities, which is why, Parker adds, Pride Prom is important.
“Pride Prom allows them to just come and be themselves and know that they’re going to be accepted by every single human being there,” he explained.
Parker also reminded students that they do not have to “prove” anything to attend. Whether they are queer, questioning, or just an ally, they will be welcomed no matter what.
Students can register on the HCPSS Pride website. The cost per person is $30, and the extended deadline to register is June 8. For those who are still undecided, Parker noted why the experience will be worth it.
As students navigate their identities just as Alice did in Alice in Wonderland, it is important to have a community that is supportive.
“It’s a different feeling of being somewhere where you’re accepted versus being somewhere where you’re celebrated,” he said.
