University of Idaho Gender and Sexuality Alliance is pursuing funding and student awareness of the club’s inclusive atmosphere by hosting a costume dance fundraiser called Hallowqueen from 8-11 p.m., Friday in the KIVA Theater.
Tony Marcoline | Argonaut
Evan Young passes out fliers Thursday for The Gender and Sexuality Alliances “Hallowqueen” event outside the Agricultural Sciences building. The event will be held Friday from 8-11 p.m. in the Kiva Theater. Pre-sale tickets are $3, at the door is $5 and a group discount will be offered for $25 for 10 people.
Costumes are optional and there is not an official dress code for the dance enforced by coordinators. Tickets at the door cost $5. Pre-sale tickets went on sale for $3 on Oct. 22 and will continue to be sold until 7 p.m. Friday, according to Michelle Shannon, queer identified co-chair of GSA.
Pre-sale tickets are being sold by two members of GSA walking around campus with black, ask-me-about-Hallowqueen t-shirts, tiaras, pink scarves and wands.
There will be a group discount of $25 for ten people, which cuts the cost of tickets per person in half.
Hallowqueen is a fundraising event for the GSA lobbying trip in January in response to the Add the Words Campaign as well as for an academic conference called Power of One in Oregon this spring. During these events, the club sends 10-15 members to present and interact with others in queer academics in the north, according to Samantha Hansen.
This event is focused on inclusivity and welcoming those of all stages, races and variations of life. All identities are welcome.
According to Hansen, female identified co-chair of GSA, many Halloween events can be gender-focused, thus GSA will host an event that will be a safe, comfortable environment for members of all walks of life to take their significant other out dancing.
“Our event is definitely focused on inclusion for everybody–so, access and inclusion for people of all walks of life,” Hansen said. “It’s definitely a place where people in the queer community can go and have fun, but also people who are allied (and) people who would like to just come hang out.”
The event is alcohol-free.
Hallowqueen is a dry run for a future dance called Queer Prom, which UI will host in April. The theme for next year’s Queer Prom hasn’t been chosen yet. Last year, Washington State University GSA hosted Queer Prom and, according to Hansen, it had 200-500 attendants.
The event will highlight GSA’s presence on campus, as well as its open door for new members.
“The mission of our club is to promote an inclusive atmosphere on campus,” she said. “So, this dance will hopefully do something along those lines.”
There will be a focus of queer artists chosen for the music collection. Shannon, who is DJ’ing, will stray away from mainstream music, but will still provide dance tracks. Underground artists will be featured.
Shannon will handpick music and organize it so that it hits certain dancew tempos. She doesn’t randomize her selection.
“I actually work it out so it’s like dance, dance, dance, slow,” Shannon said. “It actually (provides) a really great atmosphere, because people don’t want to dance 110 percent of the time.”
Jake Smith can be reached at [email protected]