Live to Tell: The First Gay and Lesbian Prom in America

Although there are no regulations prohibiting same-sex couples from attending school proms in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the threat of verbal and even physical abuse would certainly put a damper on the evening for a gay or lesbian teen couple. Therefore, the members of the EAGLES center, an alternative school for gay and lesbian teens, decided to host their own prom--the first in the history of America. Filmmaker Charley Lang's chronicle of the project (which would attract some 200 students and a fair amount of media attention) interviews students who talk about the problems they face as gay and lesbian teens in America today and their excitement over the prom, which was held on May 20, 1994 at the Los Angeles Hilton. Although a small group of religious fundamentalists harassed couples near the entrance, the protest didn't appear to dim the love, magic, and euphoria of the prom inside. In addition to the students and planners, Lang's film features commentary from a handful of notable writers about the experience of being adolescent and gay in America (including Philadelphia screenwriter Ron Nyswaner and playwright Tony Kushner, author of Angels in America). A good choice for larger public and high school libraries. Recommended. (R. Pitman)