For some young people, this is the only prom where they can truly be themselves.

Last year, I had the chance to attend HiTOPS Queer Prom at the Arts Council of Princeton. It is hard to fully capture what it felt like to be in that room.

There was joy. You could see people relax into themselves. There was a real sense of belonging.

I helped organize part of the evening’s entertainment, including performances by drag artists. For many of the youth in attendance, it was their first time experiencing that kind of live performance or connecting with artists in that space. It was fun, expressive, and genuinely empowering.

More recently, one of the performers who volunteered their time reached out and asked if they could come back again this year. That tells you everything about the impact of this event.

HiTOPS is organizing this year’s Queer Prom on May 29 in Princeton, and they need community support to make it happen.

If you are able, please consider contributing:
form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/hitops/hitops-queer-prom

Not able to sponsor?

You can help by donating from their wish list:
amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2N0LLHXQZEUYA

And if you know a young person who would benefit from attending, you can find details and tickets here:
eventbrite.com/e/queer-topia-hitops-queer-prom-tickets-1984560222047?aff=dw

Every share helps too.

Learn more at https://www.danweissnj.com/post/hitops-prom-2026