Take a Look Back: Gay at the Prom

Lisamarie Babik, 1986: That's me, on the left, dressed like a vestal virgin who's ready to be thrown into a volcano — complete with requisite braided rattail. On the right is my prom date from the Land of the Giants, Scott Taylor.

People in the front office at school decided he should ask me to go. I was so freaked out about going to prom with this guy, my psychiatrist actually prescribed Valium. I spent the entire prom hiding in the bathroom — the only place he couldn't follow me — because every time I set down my bouquet he would pick it up and say, "Do you know how much I paid for this?"

Umm. No?

I was also a vegetarian and dinner was prime rib. I clearly recall telling the waiter to "get this bloody chunk of meat off my plate."

I was so stressed out, all night I was popping Valium like Tic-Tacs. By the end of the evening there was absolutely no filter on my mouth and you could have poured me out of the car — which made things a little tricky passing through Customs. (Our prom was held in Canada. Why? I wish I knew!)

To make things even more fun, when I left college and got my first job (many years later), my prom date ended up being my boss! I could have died, right there on the spot.