Zinesters for revolution!!
I’m folding hundreds of pieces of paper, and it feels like the end of the world. I’m making zines again, each meticulously creased and flattened by my trans little fingers and trusty bone folder. There is a steady stream of bad news directly to my brain lately, so I channel my rage and fear into these handmade booklets. It seems silly in the face of literal fascism to be sitting at my desk, folding my little papers, until I remember what the pages contain and who else has done this exact thing before me.
The zines I make are both political and personal– and how could they not be, authored and self-published by a transgender person in 2025 America. They largely contain messages of Queer hope, love, joy, and curiosity. My zines speak from my Queer point of view; explaining why I left the professional field of higher education, how I changed my name legally, sharing little stories about human moments while young and stoned. Or else, they inform and inspire; a poem about unconditional love and acceptance, how to responsibly use cannabis as a tool for Queer wellness, a field guide series for gentle and curious self-exploration of gender. Even the silly fanzines are usually Queer in subject area or analysis. My Queer messages, thoughts, and experiences are folded up and shipped out all over the world these days. I distribute my work freely as much as possible through trades or digital downloads. I sell and share my zines in rooms full of talented, radical, and creative fellow zinesters. I am reminded daily that the work of saying what you think, making art about the changes you wish to see, and sharing it against all odds is important, and valuable, and a form of activism.
As we speak, our government is actively censoring transgender research, narratives, history, and language from official discourse and public life (they wish). Censorship is frightening but not unexpected in the slippery descent into authoritarianism. The good news is, zines have always been a form of resistance against the official narrative. Anyone, anywhere, can make a zine. They are incredibly easy to create, produce, ship, and distribute. If you have a piece of paper and a pencil, you have the makings of a zine. Zines are discreet, and are thus very effective for sharing information about protests, actions, and movements. You can tell your story, make art, explain how to do something, talk about taboo subjects, review banned books, or platform radical ideas in a zine. Because of this, it’s not unlikely we’ll see unconstitutional restrictions on the creation and distribution of indie literature from any marginalized communities in the coming years. Of course, this will only make our work illegal. It won’t stop us.
We can find comfort in knowing that it’s felt like the end of the world before, and making and sharing zines has been illegal before. And it didn’t stop us then, either. Zines as a genre originated during the Harlem Renaissance, where “little magazines” full of radical ideas were created and distributed throughout the underground Black culture. The first gay (“homophile”) magazine was independently produced and shared nationwide from 1952-1967, despite pressure from police and federal agencies. We can see examples of revolutionary literature from movements and subcultures throughout history in archives such as the Queer Zine Archive Project and the POC Zine Project. Zines are as much a tool of activism and direct action as protests and marches- especially if they are distributed freely.
In times such as these, we must be willing to take back our power. We can’t wait for institutions or the state to deem us valuable. We’ll be waiting for a day that never comes. We can give ourselves permission to tell our own stories, speak from our own perspectives, and teach each other what we know. We can make art that challenges the status quo and envisions something better rising from the ashes of the establishment. We can pass along flyers and pamphlets that inform and radicalize our neighbors and friends. I am endlessly inspired by the fellow zinesters making powerful and beautiful works and sharing them with the world today. The more the powers-that-be try to erase us, the more vocal and visible we must be. So don’t wait– write down your radical ideas, fold your little magazines, share them with everyone, and create the revolution.
For more on the history of zines as a tool for activism, and how to make your own, you can request a Zines For Activism workshop from the (trans)cribe.
