The LGBTQ community and its allies are invited to attend a free prom hosted on campus on April 12.

Gay-Straight Alliance President Shelbie Rosenblum said TCU’s GSA chapter has partnered with the social work class of 2015 to host a free prom for those who might not have been able to experience one in high school because of discrimination.

“I really just want people to have that prom experience that they didn’t get to have in high school because of how the community treated them,” Rosenblum said.

Rosenblum, a junior social work major, said about $2,600 has been raised so far, including donations from the group’s pitch on the website GoFundMe.

“A lot of people in the community are backing it,” she said. “They’re donating their time and lowering their prices for us.”

The prom is also a special project for a macro-practice social work class.

Devon Greenlee, a junior social work and communication studies double major, is in the class working on the prom. She said that after Rosenblum introduced the project to the class, about 20 social work majors volunteered to help with planning. 

Greenlee said this is the first time she has been involved in an event for the LGBTQ community.

“TCU has done a really good job of working with us and supporting our vision so far,” Greenlee said.

Junior social work major Thi Nguyen, one of the class members Rosenblum recruited, is on the fundraising team. The initial fundraising goal has decreased as more vendors offer discounts, she said.

“The goal kept changing,” Nguyen said. “At first we expected so many more people, like 500. We didn’t think that would be realistic, so we cut down a lot of things and the goal dropped.”

Nguyen and Rosenblum said they expect between 250 and 300 people to attend.

The prom is open to more than just the Horned Frog community, however. 

Cameron McGrath, a junior social work major, said she and Greenlee will be attending a GSA chapter meeting at UT-Arlington to invite more members of the LGBTQ community to the prom. Other people involved with the event will do the same at the University of North Texas and UT-Dallas.

Rosenblum said she wants people to know that the event is open to anyone in the community.

“If you support LGBTQ rights, then you’re welcome to come,” she said. “We just want everybody to come and have a good time; that’s why we’re doing it for free. We don’t want people to have to pay for society’s mistake of not allowing them to have fun in high school.”