HEWITT, Texas — Prepare to get your disco on with the third annual LGBTQ+ Youth Prom.
The theme this year is "Panic at the Disco," and everyone is asked to come as they are with whoever they want to come with.
The Waco Pride Network organizers said this is a prom for High School students 18 and under, and the goal is to provide those in the LGBTQ+ community a safe space to express themselves.
"Coming here and seeing kids just like them, being their true selves, it made him feel a lot more comfortable," Christy Jaynes, with Wac Pride Network parents, said.
Jaynes has a son who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community. Before this prom, she said he never would have felt comfortable attending something like this.
Alexandra Brock, a board member of the Waco Pride Network, said in Texas and across the nation, children in LGBTQ+ communities face a higher risk of mental health problems.
"It can be a really hard place to be a young person who is discovering their gender identity," she said. "They're going to face pushback."
Brock added that many times, children in this community don't feel welcomed at their own proms. Some don't feel comfortable attending with their partner, or wearing what they choose.
Opening a space up to these children can help them in the long run.
Kids can look forward to disco balls, a ton of great music, and really good food at the disco this year.
Doors are open and to everyone 18 and under who are in High School. People can still get tickets, but if you don't get one in time, you can show up at the door.
The dance begins at 7 p.m. and will go until 10 p.m.
There's another opportunity for those in the LGBTQ+ community who are older than 18. Another prom will be held Saturday for them.
It's an opportunity for that community to experience prom if they never had the chance.