Sexual Health + Identity

Look Inside This Year's New York Public Library Anti-Prom

By Teen Vogue
Three photos of teens dressed in bright colors dancing.
Justin Wee

For many teens across the country, prom night is an exciting time filled with fun, friends, and dancing. But no matter who you are, prom likely brings a lot of pressure. Whether it's pressure to dress or look a certain way, to bring a certain date, to hang with certain friends, or spend a certain amount of money, some people find prom to be more stress than it's worth. 

That stress can be compounded if you don't feel very welcome at prom. Many schools institute discriminatory dress codes requiring attendees to wear clothes traditionally assigned to their birth sex. Other schools have a long history of racist segregation at prom. Students from across the country have recounted stories of not being allowed to bring a same-sex date to prom, having their outfits unfairly scrutinized, and of being banned from prom court based on gender. 

To provide an accepting place where teens can celebrate prom without worries of discrimination, the New York Public Library throws an annual Anti-Prom, an event meant for anyone who doesn't want to go to their traditional prom, or who doesn't feel welcome. 

Anti-Prom started in 2004, and after two-years of virtual prom due to COVID, the event was back in-person in 2022. Beyond a night of dancing and acceptance, the event features a fashion show put on by students from the High School of Fashion Industries. This year's theme was “Sweet Dreams,” an opportunity to reflect on their future goals through creative expression.

“Over the past few years teens have been robbed of the ability to connect with one another and the Library is determined to disrupt this atmosphere of isolation, ushering in a new era for New York City’s kids," library president Anthony W. Marx said in a press release about the event. "Anti-Prom provides them with a collaborative space that celebrates their creativity and ingenuity alongside their peers. It is an honor to welcome them back to the Library and support them with a beautiful event that embodies acceptance and community."

Check out photos from this year's Anti-Prom on June 3. 

Three teens in prom dresses look more like models as they pose in a library.
A teen in a white puffy dress looks angelic at the top of a staircase in a library.
One teen poses with legs crossed in a chair in a library while their date stands fashionably in a green lam dress.
Action shot of two teens dancing together
A teen in jeans a tshirt and a vest dances joyfully shaking their braids around.
A teen wears a red sparkly dress over a tshirt and headphones around their neck.
A teen in a white dress with a purple cape lined with a feather boa smiles
A still shot of antiprom attendees feet featuring high heels feathers and silk.
Still shot of an antiprom attendee's purple silk feather duster. They stand in front of someone wearing a green lam dress.
Two people in ruffley purple dresses pose in the stately room.
A teen dances with their hands above their head
A person in a pink gown sits in a chair while their date stands behind them. Books are in the background of a stately...
A teen with a shaved head remaining hair dyed different colors leans against the wall in casual clothes.

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