GRAHAM HARRINGTON, Special to The Denisonian—
For all those who didn’t have Valentines last Monday, hopefully you had the chance to participate in a little speed date! This past Friday, Outlook, Denison University’s Queer-Straight Alliance, held the first LGBTQIA+ Speed Dating and Karoake night on the third floor of Slayter in order to celebrate the Valentine season. The event was open to partygoers of all sexual orientations who were able to mingle, sing and enjoy a decadently prepared hot chocolate station on a cold Friday night.
Originally pitched as two separate events, a speed dating and an open mic night, the event was combined by Caroline Crowder ‘25, a PPA and Environmental Studies major from Houston, Texas, who led the night’s planning.
“I was hoping that the queer speed dating would be a communal event where queer people could meet [other] queer people and create more of a community [with each other],” she stated when asked about the potential goals of the event, “because I know a lot of people have felt like there isn’t one.”
Prospective romantics were paired up and given only two minutes to discuss anything from their favorite ice cream to the existence of love at first sight before the alarm rang and began another chaotic but endearing game of musical chairs as the participants met with new partners.
Although it was common that not many sparks flew during the short 2 minutes given to each couple, the event goers were still overall pleased with the conversations they were having as well as the connections they were able to make.When asked about the feasibility of speed dating, Noah Chartier ‘25, PPE and Women’s and Gender studies double major from Davidson, North Carolina remarked, “I don’t think a romantic relationship is possible, but it’s really good for friends and feels less canned than a dating app.”
After nearly an hour of quick but enriching conversations, a karaoke party finished the night with a bang. Iconic songs ranging anywhere from the classic “Can’t help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley to the bombastic “Beez in the Trap” by 2 Chainz and Nicki Minaj were belted out to an audience who sang along despite all being strangers less than an hour before.
Outlook hopes to make the LGBTQIA+ Speed Dating a Valentine’s season tradition as well as springboard into even more programming for the semester. When asked for comment about how the event went, Crowder was thrilled. “I think the event went really well! I was super happy with the turnout and the energetic atmosphere.”