Today’s prom has become a place for teens to wage “modern cultural battles,” breaking down barriers of race, sex, and social expectations. Prom has evolved since its start in the late 19th century—in 1979, the first gay couple attended, in 2013, students threw their own prom to overthrow their segregated prom, and as recently as April, teens crowned a transgender prom king. Rather than a place to learn “rigid cultural mores,” it’s become a place for teens to question the status quo. (Ypulse’s infographic snapshot on prom explores how they’re getting ready for the big day.) (Quartz)
