National Coming Out Day Posters

Date: 1993

Region: North America

Subject: Sexual/Gender Orientation

Medium: Literature


Artist: Women's Issues Club

Confronting Bodies: Initiator: W.I.C Opposition: Michael McDermott

Dates of Action: Around September 1993

Location: Scarsdale High School, New York

Description of Artwork: Collection of posters, signs, and literature gathered from the Gay and Lesbian March on Washington was to be displayed for National Coming Out Day in Scarsdale High School, and posters from the Women's Issues Club describing the event were to be publicly displayed throughout the school.

The Incident: Vice Principal Michael McDermott rejected the posters, on the grounds that they were inappropriate and would be "misunderstood." Without his approval, the posters and signs could not be distributed or displayed.

Results of Incident: According to a member of the club no appeal to the Principal or Board of Education was sought. The existing posters and signs were removed from a display case in a little-traversed section of a hallway in the high school.

Source: A member of the club, Nadia Pervez