Surrey youth are invited to attend an LGBTQ-friendly Valentine’s Dance on Saturday, Feb. 10.
According to Surrey Pride Society director Marianne Dumay, the event is meant to be a fun and inclusive dance for all youth, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth.
Dumay, who works as an Inner City Worker at the Cloverdale Learning Centre, is helping organize the event so that LGBTQ youth have the opportunity to attend a dance with their partner or their friends in a safe environment.
The dance is sponsored by the Surrey Pride Society and Youth For A Change, an advocacy group of young LGBTQ people in Surrey, and will be hosted at The Flamingo’s Byrd nightclub in North Surrey.
There will be two dances on Saturday, Feb. 10. A dance for youth ages 13 and 14 will be held from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and then a second dance for youth ages 15 to 18 will be held from 7:30 to 11 p.m.
DJ Beachbrat is booked to play the event, and pizza and pop available for $5.
It will be a closed door, supervised event with strict policies against alcohol, drugs and bullies.
“The number one priority is the safety of the youth who will be attending the dance,” said Dumay. “We will have security and numerous chaperones who have all recently had updated RCMP background checks.”
The Byrd is a recently renovated 2,500 square foot nightclub located at 10768 King George Blvd, and is accessible by Skytrain or transit.
In addition to having security on site, supervisors will also accompany youth to the Skytrain station and Dumay said organizers are working to secure a bus that will drop students off at specific bus routes.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from Surrey Pride members, Youth For A Change members, online at theflamingo.ca or at the door.
For more information on the Surrey Pride society, visit www.surreypride.ca.
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