Hate Is Wrong Hosts GSA Prom For Local High School Students

Esera Tuaolo
Photo by Dan Riggs

Esera Tuaolo continues to be one of our beacons in the LGBTQ+ Community. The former National Football League player has done so much to give hope to our community in various ways, from music to philanthropy.

Through his foundation, Hate is Wrong, Tuaolo will host the 3rd Annual Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Prom on June 7 from 6:00-10:00 PM at the John P. Murzyn Hall in Columbia Heights.

This year’s GSA Prom will have a “Red Carpet” theme. In a press release, this event is described as an inclusive event “designed to provide a safe and welcoming environment for high school students who may otherwise feel left out.”

Appearing along with Tuaolo are local drag performers Lady Cassadine, Hunky Dory, and Fozaen Piss’as. This event is open to all Minnesota high school students – in particular LGBTQ+ and Allies.

The theme has an added bonus for those attending the GSA Prom – a Red Carpet Competition. Attendees can work the red carpet between 6:00 and 7:00 PM for the event’s best-dressed competition. The winner will receive a cash prize of $100.

In an effort to help get you dressed for the Prom, the Twin Cities Pride’s Rainbow Wardrobe program will be assisting attendees with new and gently used items donated by community members.

Tuaolo is also catering the food at this event. The attendees are set to be treated to a feast by “Mr. Aloha” himself, and he is even bringing in flowers from Hawai’i as part of the decorations at the Prom.

A Prom is also about activities as well. There is a crafts table where the Twin Cities Queer Hockey League’s Dani will be there to create various fun items at this event.

The inspiration behind creating this safe and welcoming space for area high schoolers came from the experiences of Tuaolo and his past. “As someone who has experienced firsthand the challenges of hiding my true self during my NFL career, I am committed to creating a safe space for youth. I want them to remember prom as a time where they could truly be themselves in an inclusive environment,” said Tuaolo.

Being the third GSA Prom hosted by Hate Is Wrong, Tuaolo reflected back when it all began. “Every single year, it’s one of those things that is very rewarding,” he explained. “Because I was approached by the GSA in Anoka County, and they wanted us to get involved in creating a prom for them. It was one of those things where I met with them, and just talking with these kids was… I was tearing up because the stories that they were saying and how they didn’t feel welcome at their prom, how they couldn’t express themselves, all the things that our youth, that LGBTQ youth are going through right now, right?”

“There’s memories in our lives that is very special, and we can’t get back,” Tuaolo continued. “I think the prom is one of them. What I wanted to do, what Hate Is Wrong wanted to do was create a safe environment for these kids.”

Who can go to the Hate Is Wrong GSA Prom? “All is welcome, as long as they are high school students and they can prove that, they show an ID,” explained Tuaolo. “It’s free. I mean, we do a $10 donation, but if you can’t afford the $10 and stuff, it’s okay.”

If you want more inspiration heading to and from the GSA Prom, Tuaolo just released a new song that is being called the new LGBTQ+ anthem: “Room For Love.” This song is appropriate for our time as, according to the press release, it is “more than just a song; it’s a call to action. It’s a reminder that we all have the power to make the world a better place by choosing love over hate.” The same feeling that is behind putting on this year’s GSA Prom.

If you never felt comfortable going to your own Prom, you now have one to attend. Tuaolo and his team are ready to greet you on the red carpet.

Hate is Wrong 3rd Annual Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Prom
June 7 • 6:00-10:00 PM
John P. Murzyn Hall, 530 Mill St. NE, Columbia Heights
www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-gsa-prom-red-carpet-tickets-904766861037

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