Kings & queens : queers at the prom /

Any teen will say that the weeks leading up to the senior prom are filled with anxiety, but being gay makes other worries seem lame in comparison. Freelance writer Boyer has collected almost two dozen stories from gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth stretching back over more than 70 years, from the Bronx High School class of 1935 to the graduating class of 2003 at the mostly gay Harvey Milk High. Along the way, we meet such memorable prom attendees as out lesbian Krystal Bennet, proudly voted prom king of her Washington high school in 2001 amid local controversy; Lois and Patrick, the "perfect couple" from the 1980 class of an Albuquerque high school who, years later, came out to each other; and David and Bob, 1970s high school sweethearts who are still together. A "mini mag" insert of prom styles, factoids, and statistics reads like a page-filling afterthought. Although this book is not an essential purchase, readers, both gay and straight, will empathize with the individuals here and may even enjoy reliving that night when their dates stood, corsages in hand, waiting to usher them into adulthood. Recommended for larger public libraries.-Jeff Ingram, Newport P.L., OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.