Night on the Town
A guest writer gives us the humorous tale of his trip to the Lavender Ball
by John Jackson

After appropriately moisturizing, I set about the Zen-like task of putting on my face. Albeit time-consuming, “gilding the lily” ultimately yielded the desired effect: a perfect visage for the world to see. I pursed my glossy lips together and winked in the direction of my roommate. Our “pre-balling” finished, we were ready for the evening’s festivities. We set out with several other friends to attend the second annual Lavender Ball – a semi-formal dance for collegiate LGBTIQ folk.

The 2004 Lavender Ball was held on April 3 with a healthy smattering of UNC folk among the crowd. Here’s my story:

For the pre-dance dinner, Café Parizade in Durham served as an excellent setting for a sizable UNC contingent, which was namely my own. We agree it was arguably the best part of the evening.

“The Belgian chocolate platter that I got for dessert was far more fulfilling than the dance itself,” said sophomore Cameron Hartofelis, my feisty redheaded friend who came with her girlfriend. This seemed to be the general sentiment from the group. Everyone enjoyed not only the excellent meal but one another’s company. Parizade’s courtyard had originally been considered as the setting for the Lavender Ball itself, but ultimately the Searle Center at Duke Hospital won out.

The profusion of same-gender couples seemed to cause some controversy at Café Parizade. When my roommate Patrick Lyons and our friend Tommy Rimbach went to the bathroom, they were accosted by a waiter who asked why they were holding hands. Their strategy of traveling in packs to avoid such incidents thus thwarted, Tommy sheepishly replied that he was feeling ill and didn’t know where he was going.

The retelling of the story had a similar effect on the rest of the group. To cheer us up and rally our spirits, I suggested we mimic Captain Planet’s Planeteers, combining the varied powers of our “Queer Rings” so that Trevor Hoppe (former Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender – Straight Alliance co-chairperson) would appear and properly thrash the offending homophobe. After a round of “Cheers Queers” we dined and resumed pleasantries.

After dinner we aimlessly drove around for hours. Much like the clitoris, the Searle Center at Duke Hospital proved difficult to find for many; oddly enough the women arrived last.

Although the somewhat bizarre setting of a hospital lobby set the tone of quirkiness for the evening, the spiked punch helped to loosen up everyone. Attendance wasn’t as high as last year’s ball, but the nearly 70 people who came out enjoyed dancing and socializing in a LGBTIQ-affirmative setting.

The lighting inside was rather bright, given that the event was at night and it was a dance. This didn’t stop people, though. A few glasses of punch later and the masses were bumping and grinding with the best of them. The task of dancing was made more difficult, though, by the fact that only about every third song was danceable.

Despite the harsh lighting and obscure location, the space itself was well decorated and aesthetically pleasing. The room had a sizable glass wall and marble floors, with a sweeping, dramatic staircase leading the way down. Hors d’oeuvres were served alongside an open bar facsimile, resplendent with Coke and other non-alcoholic beverages. A convenient patio area was located adjacent to the dancing space, where smokers or people who wanted a breath of fresh air gathered to converse.

Last year’s ball was more of a collaborative effort, cosponsored by UNC’s GLBT-SA and Alliance of Queer Undergraduates At Duke. Held at the Doris Duke Center, it boasted a greater attendance and a more suitable space for dancing. This year’s ball planning was organized by AQUADuke, but both UNC and Duke students expressed interest in collaborating for next year’s ball.

Patrick Lyons, a first-year student, best summarized the evening’s sentiment. “It was such a safe, affirming space that the rivalry and politics didn’t really matter,” he said. “I hope the feeling will carry over into next year.” ?

Guest writer and first-year student John Jackson, a French and women’s studies double major from Advance, N.C., can be contacted at lambda@unc.edu. Staff Writer and first-year student Eliana Ziri, a psychology and women’s studies double major from Greensboro, N.C., contributed to this article. She can be contacted at lambda@unc.edu

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