Nate Skinner
History Was Never In The Closet
An editorial archive of Aotearoa’s overlooked queer histories.
“Queer history has always existed. It just hasn't always been taught.”
History Was Never In The Closet explores how editorial print design can reconnect queer people with their historical inheritance. Sparked by the 40th anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform in Aotearoa, the project responds to the absence of queer history in mainstream education.
Through an archival collection of four publications, I explore the lives of Carmen Rupe, Bruce Burnett and James Courage, alongside my own experience of growing up queer in Aotearoa. Each publication carries its own visual identity, brought together through a shared editorial system and housed within a metallic magazine file holder, referencing the familiarity of school libraries. Through print and storytelling, the collection gives overlooked histories a tangible presence, ensuring the stories that shaped our present are not lost on future generations.
