(crowd cheering)
- People keep asking,
"Why you gotta be Queer Prom?"
And I say, "I'm not gonna name it
"Prom That Happens to Have Tons
"of Gay People There."
(crowd laughing)
So we are centering tonight on us
for once, right?
(crowd cheering)
(upbeat acoustic music)
We got a few speakers for you tonight.
McKenna Palmer was an intern at
the It Gets Better project.
- When I was in high school, I came
out my junior year, and I looked
around at a school that didn't really
accept LGBTQ young people.
I became the president of my high school's
GSA, which is the Gay-Straight Alliance,
and I had so many amazing experiences
in that classroom.
Every week is where we could be ourselves.
Where we could laugh and talk about queer topics.
And what my message is to all of you
is, because you're queer, maybe you aren't normal.
You're different.
And you know what?
That's not only okay, that's perfect.
You're perfect the way you are.
(crowd cheering)
- We have a very special Prom Court
that was flown in from across the nation.
Come up on the stage.
(crowd cheering)
We have a special guest who's
going to be anointing you King, Queen,
or Anything In-between.
Can we get Adam Lambert to the stage?
(crowd cheering)
- Thank you.
Awww, you guys are so cute.
You know when I was in high school,
I'm gonna say it, I graduated in the year 2000,
I just said it, I said it.
Life was different to be LGBT or Q in America.
It was entirely different.
I think the only thing I had was Will and Grace on TV.
That was it.
So it was a lot of jokes.
Watching as an adult, over the
years, watching things change
it's been unbelievable to see how people
are becoming exactly who they want to be, earlier.
They're sure of it.
They're able and they're given the permission
in certain places to explore.
I can't believe how fast we're progressing.
And I know we have a lot of work to do,
still, with equality.
But man, it's really exciting to
watch the growth that's happened
here in America and around the world.
- This is your 2017 Buzzfeed Queer Prom Court!
You might know one of the most
brilliant actresses of her generation
from a little show called West World.
Where there's proof in the pudding,
when her character finally gets to
wear pants, she shoots motherfuckers up.
So give it up for Buzzfeed's Queer Prom
Queen, Evan Rachel Wood.
(crowd cheering)
- Wow, this is amazing.
All my dreams are coming true in so many ways.
I'm so happy.
I'm happy beyond all reason to be here tonight.
And then I look at you guys and I see progress.
And it just makes me so happy
to know that we can all come together
on a night like this because we're family.
When I'm with people in large groups
like this, that I relate to so much,
I hold on to that feeling.
And even when you're feeling alone,
remember this feeling and remember your
family because we're always
there with you and you're never alone.
Ever.
I also wear a little unicorn around
my neck, and it's not just because I'm bisexual.
It's because I grew up feeling
like the black sheep, and
feeling weird and strange
and like there was something wrong with me.
And then I realized as I got older
I was not a black sheep, I was a unicorn.
I was a rare, mythical creature
and I was special because I was different.
And I embraced that.
So just remember, you're not a black sheep,
you're a unicorn.
Always and forever.
- We can't end a crowning ceremony
without a very special tradition
from a very beautiful man.
Can I get Daniel Franzese on to the stage please?
(crowd cheering)
- She totally goes here.
(crowd cheering)
I can't even tell you how beautiful
it is to see all these rainbow
colors in this room and all of these rainbow people.
My mom, one of her students said,
"Why is a dime worth more than
"a nickel if a dime is smaller
"and a nickel is bigger and heavier?"
And even though it isn't logical,
it wasn't logical that I went to prom with a girl,
and didn't really get to go with someone
that I cared about, and it perhaps
wasn't logical that Damian in Mean Girls
ended up alone at the Spring Fling.
But, now I'm not the shy, closeted
queer kid at the prom.
I'm here with my fiancé, Joseph.
(crowd cheering)
So remember even when the world isn't
logical, just still be yourself
and shine as bright as the colors in our rainbow.
Now they want to give me this crown,
but since it's about breaking rules
at the Queer Prom, I'm just going to break this
(crowd cheering)
and we can all be the Queens tonight!
(crowd cheering)
- Everyone here is a King, a Queen,
or a Something In-between.
(uplifting light rock music)