The Learning Zone

OCAD U Zine Library marked their celebration of Pride Month last week @ocadulibrary with Tamara Noor ‘s staff pick:

Stonewall 1969 by Mike Funk:

As we come up on Pride month, it is important to remember the origins of Pride and this zine serves as a great reminder. It provides a brief history of the Stonewall riots in comic form. Most importantly, it highlights the important roles that LGBTQ activists and pioneers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera played in the 1969 Stonewall rebellion. Pride did not begin as a fun corporate-sponsored party, it was a police riot. This zine reminds me to pause and thank the courageous LGBTQ activists that came before us for the important work they did.

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#DisplayYourPride at OCAD U! Visit the many events across campus and join us at the Learning Zone for a button making party; Thursday June 13th from noon until 4 pm. Be creative and make a button or a few – only 2 for $1.00. All welcome!

For Pride Month 2019, our LGBTQ+ and supporting Learning Zone Staff members discovered some of their favourite zines from the OCAD U Zine Library. The zine library is an evolving DIY collection promoting diversity and embracing inclusive communities. We’ve highlighted staff picks and more in our Pride Month display.

Tamara Noor staff pick:

We begin with a personal favourite of Tamara’s called Kingston is for Lesbians by Cleo:

For this years’ Pride display, Kingston is for Lesbians by Cleo was a zine I immediately gravitated to. Being a queer person of colour in a very white, conservative city is something I relate to a lot. However, even in those unfortunate circumstances, it is still possible to find role models to aspire to (i.e. the older lesbian couple next door in their domestic bliss). This zine also beautifully explores the concept of “home” and what that means… is it a place? A feeling? I also adore Cleo’s illustration style. All in all, a magnificent perzine about self-discovery.

Nik Szafranek staff pick:

This zine What Makes An Object Queer by Jamie Q was an immediate favourite for Nik:

I was immediately drawn to the playfulness of the little (XS) zine; with its playing with descriptions of queerness that are both fun and accessible. Where a lot of cis/heteronormative discourse tends to essentialize LGBTQ+ identities to merely their sexual aspects and there for deemed not ‘child appropriate’. It is refreshing to see a more light hearted but still very holistic approach to this diverse grouping of identities and lived experiences. The pairing of attempts to describe queerness you can imagine being used for individuals you may know and empathize with equally ‘queer’ but definitionally different representations of abstract composite forms along and more recognizable objects with unexpected additions and omissions attempts to bridge understanding by comparison and contrast seems very approachable.

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Casey Helm staff pick:

A Queer Women in History: A Zine Celebrating the lives of Queer Women in History caught Casey’s attention:

While the zine is certainly not exhaustive, it gives the reader a great little primer on some influential + pioneering LGBTQ+ women throughout history. I want people to use this zine as an introduction; there are so many more amazing women to learn about, and so much more in-depth information about everyone featured in the zine. Do your research, especially about historical LGBTQ+ women of colour! An important figure missing from this work is Marsha P. Johnson, a Black Trans woman activist who was at Stonewall. Queer and Trans women of colour were so instrumental in building the community we have today, and we owe so much to Marsha and others. I also want this zine to remind everyone – WE HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED!!

Samiya Karim staff pick:

Decolonizing P@renting a zine by & for Queer parents of color edited by  Se’mana Thompson and Maria Teresa Carmier  was love ❤️ at first sight for Samiya:

It is rare to see conversations about queer parenting let alone queer parents of colour. This zine opens up the conversation of how we can approach parenting as POC with Queer identities. A healing zine for anyone of queer POC identity.

Visit the OCAD U Zine Library and discover your favourite LGBTQ+ zine and share it with us!