>An annual pro-LGBT teen dance is set to take place all thanks to funding generated by an unlikely source — the Facebook group that was trying to stop it.
>An Australian LGBTQ advocacy group, Minus 18, hosts a “Same Sex Gender Diverse” formal in the Melbourne area to, in their words, provide local queer youth “a night to wear what you want, come with who you want, and just be yourself!” In an effort to open the night of dinner and dancing to as many people as possible, Minus 18 turned to crowdfunding this year, hoping that supportive donors would help cover a block of the $40 tickets for those who couldn’t otherwise afford it
>Stop Safe Schools Coalition’s original plan was to buy all of the “tickets” to the formal dance so that no one would be able to attend, not realizing that the money was actually going to a crowdfunding campaign to cover Minus18's cost of hosting the dance — and provide free tickets to young people who couldn't otherwise attend.
>The conservative group is now downplaying its role in the situation. “The Stop Safe Schools Coalition 'ticket buy' was planned within a secret group with the intention to not buy tickets, but by announcing such we would know this was the best way to create publicity and successfully have the Safe Schools Coalition exposed,” the antigay group posted on its Facebook page, denying its alleged involvement. “To clarify, we never bought any tickets and any tickets purchased were by the general public who saw the post.”
>While the group only hoped to raise $15,000, they’ve raised more than $45,000 as of now. Because of the donations, all tickets to the Melbourne dance will be free, the group noted. Some of the funds will also go to another formal dance for LGBTI teens in November.
https://archive.is/RyhRn (advocate)
https://archive.is/kBzNO (slate)