For gay and lesbian students, the high school dance isn’t necessarily the quintessential landmark it is for others — advocates say gay couples often feel uncomfortable at school proms and dances or are excluded outright.
Lt. Corliss Cooper, left, speaks with Kat Cooper in this 2013 file photo.But this Valentine’s Day all students, particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, will be welcome at a dance hosted by the Nooga Diversity Center, a nonprofit that provides a variety of services and resources to LGBT individuals. Called “Same Love,” the dance is targeted at high school and college students from across the area.
“We’re trying to make it very clear that it’s not just exclusively a gay dance. It’s for everybody. Because the dance represents equality and diversity,” said Kat Cooper, co-director and founder of the Nooga Diversity Center. Cooper, a Collegedale police detective, gained widespread attention in 2013 as she publicly and successfully fought for benefits for her wife.
The Nooga Diversity Center is gearing up to open a downtown headquarters to act as a hub of services for LGBT individuals. The Saturday night dance, one of the group’s first big events, will include a processional photographer, catering, a DJ and access to an IMAX film.
“I don’t want this to be some makeshift dance in a church gym,” Cooper said. “I want them to have something they deserve.”
The original idea was to provide an outlet for high-school-aged students, Cooper said. But organizers soon realized college students and even adults were interested in attending an inclusive dance.
“We want students to have the opportunity to have a true formal dance who otherwise would not have had that opportunity,” she said. “A lot of times, unfortunately, in this area we have college-aged students who are 19, 20, 21 years old who didn’t get a prom or didn’t get a dance.”
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For more information or to purchase tickets, search “Same Love – A Valentine’s Day Diversity Dance Party” on Facebook.
Moises Rodriguez, a junior at Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts, said events like the Same Love dance are helping to build an affirming community for young people, regardless of their neighborhood or school environment.
“It’s just something that really is amazing,” Rodriguez said. “Chattanooga isn’t so close-minded. It’s growing so much.”
While many colleges and universities have active gay-straight alliances for LGBT students and allies, Jefferson Clark said that’s not always easy on conservative, religious campuses like Southern Adventist University, where he is a senior. He thinks the Nooga Diversity Center’s programs will fill a need for an inclusive, accepting environment.
“We are trying to create awareness for this so that students everywhere, including on religious campuses, can see there is a place where everyone can come together whether they’re gay or straight and have that fun and that community,” he said.
Clark said he never attended a homecoming dance or a prom in high school, so he’s especially excited for the Valentine’s Day event.
“It’s kind of like my first dance,” he said. “It’s going to be not only my first all-inclusive dance, but also my first dance.”
Contact staff writer Kevin Hardyat khardy@timesfreepress.com or423-757-6249.