No limousines, no champagne parties, no pressure to show up with a date.
Beyond a quiet lobby door was a first-of-its-kind party on a recent Friday night. South Bay teens got to be themselves during a queer prom at the allcove youth center in the Beach Cities Health District, hosted by Mira Costa High School juniors.
About 30 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors attended the budding tradition in dresses of all lengths, high heels and boots, sneakers and suits — a spectrum of formal wear.
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A queer prom hosted by juniors at Mira Costa High School May 22, 2026 at allcove Beach Cities allowed South Bay LGBTQ+ teens to be themselves freely, attendees said, something that traditional prom doesn't historically offer. (Photo by Tyler Shaun Evains, Daily Breeze, SCNG)
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A queer prom hosted by juniors at Mira Costa High School May 22, 2026 at allcove Beach Cities allowed South Bay LGBTQ+ teens to be themselves freely, attendees said, something that traditional prom doesn't historically offer. (Photo by Tyler Shaun Evains, Daily Breeze, SCNG)
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“Even though we face adversity as LGBTQ youth in the South Bay, it's harder for those in other states,†organizer Jonah Segil said on prom night. “I wanted to acknowledge that with queer prom tonight.â€
Mostly students from Mira Costa and Redondo Union high schools attended the May 22 prom, said Segil, a Mira Costa junior, but he hopes the event grows and expands to more schools in the South Bay and beyond in years to come.
Some may feel excluded from traditional prom, with its with historically gender normative customs, said Mira Costa junior Max Zhang, who co-hosted the prom.
“Jonah and I noticed there weren't too many safe spaces for queer people†in the South Bay teen community, Zhang added. “We wanted to create an outside (of school) place where queer people could come together and have fun.â€
The end-of-high school dance, short for promenade, has roots in debutante balls, according to a Los Angeles Public Library blog, and was intended to present young women as available for marriage to young men.
The events, ironically, were referred to as “coming out†parties at the time.
But during that recent night in Redondo Beach, there was no need to “come out.†And those who did decide to disclose their gender identities and sexualities to each other did so without apprehension.
Malia Goodman-Bhyat, a Mira Costa junior who attended the prom, said that while students aren't formally excluded from traditional prom, it's important to know that there's a celebration explicitly for queer high schoolers.
“I have a lot of support in my life, but I know a lot of people don't,†Goodman-Bhyat said. It's important “knowing you have a community around you who's willing to rally around you and support you publicly, that there is a celebration for you; that you deserve to be celebrated.
“As queer people,†she added, “we want to celebrate high school and do the same traditional things (as anyone else) because we enjoy them.'
Having a specific community of similar people around creates safety and support, Zhang said.
“If you're LBGTQ, it's important to find others who also are because it validates yourself,†Zhang said. “It takes away any pressure to conform to being heterosexual or any societal expectations with being heterosexual.â€
Unregulated joy filled the room, which was adorned with glittering lava lamps, fringe curtains and balloons. Props and a ring light brought together the photo booth, and photo ops were also against a backdrop with balloons that spelled “PROM.â€
Students from different South Bay high schools mingled over Jersey Mike's sandwiches and chips, some meeting for the first time. By the mid point of the night, everyone was well acquainted and ready to dance together.
And that they did all night — until the very end, playing the video game “Just Dance†in a synchronized crowd.
People even played board games like “Connect 4†throughout the evening.
“It's nice to see people I know and also didn't know, without a formal introduction,†Mira Costa junior Eden Avila said. “We were able to have a good time together even though we don't know each other, but we know we all have this thing in common.â€
Many of the gender normative traditions were thrown out the window, making it a night to remember in a meaningful way. There was no theme, other than to give queer students a traditional prom experience catered to them.
When Segil turned up the music, everyone flocked to the dance floor, rocking to “Let's Dance†by David Bowie, “Dancing Queen†by ABBA and other familiar tunes, singing along all night.
Couples slow danced and fixed each other's clothes like no one was watching or judging — because no one was.
Two prom monarchs were voted to take crowns during the night, something Zhang said was a gender-neutral step away from the distinctly masculine and feminine king and queen titles. No matter how one identified, they could rule the night.
“The traditional things of having prom king and queen put people into traditional boxes,†Segil said.
Segil's generation has been passed the torch, he said, from as far back as leaders of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, to continue being a beacon of hope for queer youth across the country.
He wanted to create something that would bring together LGBTQ+ teens in a setting other than their schools' gender sexuality alliance groups, and hopes to continue the local queer prom as an annual tradition, he added, connecting queer youth across L.A. County.
“I feel like it creates lasting connections that live on after the prom for queer youth across different schools,†Segil said. “Allowing people to rely on and support each other.
“Queer prom brings the community together in a way that nothing has before.â€
Segil said he envisions queer prom becoming an integral South Bay event, something everyone knows to look forward to each year — becoming bigger and more impactful over time.
Segil and Zhang, who cofounded the South Bay Social Advocacy Coalition, and other peers started organizing the prom in January, Segil said, making it the coalition's big project, culminating the group's efforts throughout the school year.
The student-run alliance, founded last year, includes youth representatives from schools across the South Bay who advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights in the midst of a national rise in hate by promoting inclusivity and fighting discrimination, according to the coalition's website.
Segil has been part of BCHD's youth advisory council for four years, and being involved in events there inspired him to plan his own.
Use of the space, along with admission, was free. Segil and Zhang, as well as donations from other members of the coalition, sponsored food, drinks and the rest.
Although Segil and Zhang spearheaded the event, Segil called it a collective effort, stemming from their own social needs and those of their queer peers.
The previous absence of queer prom had “been a concern for a lot of people,†Segil said. “I talked to friends of mine who are trans, and they feel they can't be their true identities at prom even if people aren't overtly discriminatory; they feel they can't fully express themselves†because they may not be part of the event's majority.
“It's important to gather and know you have community with people,†Goodman-Bhyat said. “It can feel isolating when you're in spaces where there are not a lot of queer people.â€
Avila said that she usually skips school dances because it's hard to enjoy herself with so many people and things happening. But with the smaller group at queer prom, she felt she was able to participate in the night with ease.
“I'm glad a lot of people were able to come … and be who they are,†she added. “A lot of people might be embarrassed to go to (school-hosted) prom.â€
Zhang, after all, said he felt awkward attending his first homecoming dance because he didn't have a date.
“But this is inclusive of everyone, single or not.†he said of the dance he organized.
“There's a lot more community than I'd expect at a traditional prom because it's a lot smaller and we're already supportive of each other,†Zhang said.
We could “just be free, however we wanted,†he added.
He foresaw himself being scared of being judged at traditional prom, Zhang said — but didn't feel any judgement at queer prom.
Goodman-Bhyat felt similarly.
“I was able to be myself more here; I could dance how I wanted and exist how I wanted,†Goodman-Bhyat said. “I don't think people were judging me, but I feel I couldn't do some of the things maybe I wanted to, like singing loudly, dancing and acting (goofily).â€
