Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Through Condom Fashion

By MacKenzie Dexter & Jack Taylor

The 6th annual Condom Fashion Show celebrated designers’ creativity inspired by LGBTQ+ Pride throughout the decades on Friday, May 10.

Planned Parenthood Generation WWU hosted the event with the Associated Students Queer Resource Center as their sponsor. The event was held in Fraser Hall and was free to the public. This year had the largest turnout in audience members as well as design teams.

According to Piper Tolbert, the Planned Parenthood condom fashion show coordinator, the groups hosted the event to discuss sexual health and sexual education while enjoying fashion and creativity.

“The main goal of the Condom Fashion Show is to gather students and community members together to enjoy amazing condom fashion and start conversations about sexual health in our community,” Tolbert said. “And to have fun.”

Erin Montgomery, Planned Parenthood event coordinator, explained how teams participate and how their costumes are judged.

“We had eleven teams of two to four participants,” Montgomery said. “It’s entirely free to compete in the show. Teams are required to attend a meeting and have about three weeks to design their look. The outfits are judged by community members and are evaluated based on creativity, use of materials and the design’s relevance to the theme.”

Montgomery said that she hopes audience members know that talking about sex and condoms doesn’t have to be scary. The goal of the event is to encourage fun conversation about safe sex.

Rachel Edwards, an audience member, spoke on how she enjoyed the unique fashion.

“I loved it,” she said. “It helped me learn a few cool facts that I didn’t know before, and found it really entertaining as well as empowering.”

Edwards also mentioned the value of having events that support Planned Parenthood.

“It’s important because sex education in schools don’t provide the knowledge needed for students in middle school and high school,” she said. “It’s also important because it brings awareness to some who might think that Planned Parenthood only provides abortions when they do so much more than that.”

Hosting a table outside the event, Western Wears, Prevention and Wellness Services campaign advocates for students to engage in safe sex. Jack Taylor//AS Review

Edwards also admired the event’s acceptance of marginalized communities.

“These types of events don’t discriminate against people of color, younger and older generations, the LGBTQ+ community and make it accessible to everyone to gain something from it,” Edwards said.

Tolbert explained how participants dedicate an incredible amount of time, effort and creativity into their outfits.

“There really is so much work that goes into creating every outfit, and I hope the designers and models are really proud of what they make, and that they have fun,” Tolbert said.

Tolbert explained how much work and community effort goes into planning the event. From making decorations, organizing performances and collaborating with other on-campus organizations to make sure the event runs smoothly. Local businesses also donated raffle prizes that were distributed at the event.

“We couldn’t have made it all happen without the support of VU [Viking Union] Event Services, the Queer Resource Center, the Club Activities Office, Prevention & Wellness Services’ Peer Sexual Health Educators, The Dead Parrots Society, Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood, DVSAS, our raffle donors, Emmah Lajoie Photography, Planned Parenthood Generation volunteers, our designers and models, the stand-up comedy of Lelia Thorp, our judges and of course the audience,” Montgomery said.

Tolbert said this event is put on for students and community members so they can enjoy fashion, performances and raffles.

“I hope that everyone leaves feeling empowered to have conversations about sexual health,” Tolbert said.