When the House of Prestige was founded, it sought to provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere for LGBT young people to grow as individuals and community members. Twenty years later, the organization still abides by those same principles — a commitment that one of its founders says has helped fuel its longevity.
The ballroom organization will celebrate its 20th anniversary Renaissance Ball Nov. 27 at Old Pine Community Center, 401 S. Lombard St.
Co-founder Alvernian Prestige said that shortly after the ballroom scene came to Philadelphia in 1989, he decided to branch out and launch his own house.
Collaborators Carlos and Ali Prestige worked with Alvernian to create the organization, suggesting the name “Prestige,” as opposed to naming the house after fashion designers, like many of the other groups.
“They came up with the name, because they wanted the house to represent success and achievement,” he said, noting that the House of Prestige has, since its inception, had a decidedly unique focus. “We wanted to be more than just a ballroom organization. We wanted to be a family and do social activities both in and outside of the ballroom community. I’m old-school, and I believe education and awareness should come first and then ballroom second. Ballroom is part of our culture and part of our life, we can’t deny that, but it’s so important to us that our members get a good education.”
Prestige said members must either have a job or be in school to join and also need to participate in a community-service program.
Many members have worked on HIV/AIDS-related projects, Prestige said, noting that the house has long worked to promote prevention messages among its members.
The house currently has about 150 members throughout the country, with about 30 based in Philadelphia. While most of the members are over 18, Prestige said the house does have a handful of members who are still in high school and has made sure to keep the families of the students involved and informed.
“In order for us to have members who are 16 or 17, we have to get permission from their parents. A lot of houses will take kids with their parents not knowing what they’re doing or where they are, but we have a rule that they must let their parents know,” he said. “And we have developed a very close relationship with the teens that we have and a good rapport with their families.”
While Prestige noted that many of the members’ families are accepting, the house gives the members a different outlet to explore their identity.
“We want people to feel comfortable being themselves with us,” he said. “Even though their parents know and may be OK with it, they can probably never really fully understand the lifestyle. I’m a real biological parent and a house parent, so I try to help people to open up and be comfortable expressing themselves in a way that they might not have felt comfortable with around their parents.”
Prestige noted that the house’s emphasis on personal achievement has been effective in keeping the members on the right track, while still immersing them in the fun and entertainment of the ballroom scene.
“I think they’ve had their morals and their values changed. Kids get peer pressure from all different places, and they do things because it’s the popular thing to do. We want the kids to have fun, but we also want to tell them that the ballroom lifestyle is always going to be there and that they need to go to school and get an education first. We help them as much as we can to stay in school and accomplish their goals. We keep them focused on what’s important.”
Many of the members whose lives have been touched by House of Prestige are expected to attend the Renaissance Ball, with an estimated guest list of more than 500 people.
The house usually hosts one ball a year, but Prestige said the organization is planning to change the event to be held every two or three years, so this will be the last ball for some time.
Renaissance will include a Grand March of all House of Prestige members, who will perform a mini-play for the guests, as well as a drag show, dinner and the competition itself. The winner of the ball will take home a $5,000 prize — a much larger award than at most balls, Prestige noted.
In following with the house’s emphasis on education, the ball will play host to numerous area HIV/AIDS service organizations, who will offer information and free testing services. Several agencies will offer gift cards and other incentives for those who are tested, and the first 10 guests who get tested will receive free admission.
The event will also feature an awards ceremony, with recognition going to such community leaders as Gloria Casarez, Jay Blahnik, Matthew Miller, Tony Revlon, James Khan, Keona Evisu, the University of Pennsylvania Research Department and The SafeGuards Project.
Tickets to the ball are $30 or $50 for open bar.
House of Prestige is giving away 10 free tickets to the ball. For more information, contact Alvernian Prestige at (215) 843-1834, (267) 235-1970 or [email protected].
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].