When I first came across Menstruaciones No Binarias, I was immediately struck by its depth, its urgency, and its commitment to dismantling the normative narratives surrounding menstruation. After writing about the zine in my last blog post, I knew I wanted to go furtherâto hear directly from the voices behind this work. In this post, I am honored to share an interview with Nachi of RebeldĂa Menstrual and Andre of ErĂłticas Fluidas, the brilliant minds who collaborated to create this transformative text. Their insights shed light on the importance of reclaiming menstruation as a political act, the challenges of crafting inclusive language, and the ongoing fight for trans and nonbinary menstrual justice. Because language and accessibility are central to our shared mission, I have translated our conversation from Spanish to English while keeping both versions in this post. I hope that, through their words, you feel the same sense of empowerment, resistance, and possibility that this zine so powerfully conveys.

Valeria: Which key moment or experience motivated the creation of a zine that questions the binaries surrounding menstruation?
Nachi & Andre: The key experience that motivated us to create the zine was finding ourselves in the dilemma that the majority of the available materials about menstruation are made, thought of, and directed by and from ciswomen towards ciswomen, leading to aside all menstruating living experiences of sexual and gender dissidents. Finding ourselves with that profoundly essentialist, biologically deterministic, and cisheteronormative reality made us unite our projects and create this zine together.
V: Sexual health and menstrual experience are also mentioned as political acts in the zine. How do you both see this position’s impact on the fight for rights for trans and nonbinary people?
N & A: We think that the most significant impact is amplifying the vision that we understand for the rights of trans people beyond identity, together with the visualization that there are many possible experiences when we talk about menstruation and ovum-menstrual cycles. We say it is a political act due to permitting us to amplify the imagination about the possibilities of menstruation, particularly concerning people of different sexualities and/or genders.
V: The zine stands out for its inclusive and accessible language. How did you both confront the defiance to create material that could resonate with many identities and diverse experiences?
N & A: This was one of the purposes of creating the zine, amplifying the forms of access to the knowledge from our situated experience. That is how it converted itself to grand defiance with the language used since the exact intention is to amplify the experiences, not reduce them. Besides, we wrote the zine from our own sexual dissident voices, and this reveals a specific sensibility in the hour of investigation on how to choose to explain it and address the topics.
V: You talk of the pathologization of menstruation in medical and social discourse. What changes do you think are necessary in the health system to address menstruating experiences in a more inclusive manner?
N & A: Firstly, we think that the whole health system should be transformed, and that would implicate reformulating the notion of health/illness. If we specifically speak about the topic of menstruation, the topic of gender identities would be urgent. As such, in the professional health practices and the community actions of sexual health approach, but also in public politics that should repair within the lives of sexual and/or gender dissident people. If we dream of changes, we could talk about generating a vision of a comprehensive reality, not just bio-deterministic about people.
V: How do you both perceive the impact of international distribution networks in the diffusion of projects such as this zine? And what challenges or benefits do you consider that bring forth these global links?
N & A: In the case of distribution networks found in Chile, Mexico, and Argentina, having an impact that, through our own efforts, we couldnât have achieved. There lies the importance of international networks to diffuse projects and trespassing borders. Part of the benefits has been having a larger impact on international communities, amplifying to readers the material and receiving feedback on contexts that arenât our own, and then enriching the prior reflections of the publication.
V: The zine mixes with theory, personal experience, and practice. How did you balance these perspectives, and what role does each have in the final narrative of the zine?
N & A: We both made common contributions; we wanted to share information in an accessible form, which is typically in a very medical and academic language, and at the same time, share reflections on our own terms. We did the whole process of investigating, writing, and creating the zine together. Each of us indeed has expertise due to our professional and biographical journeys. Rebeldia Menstrual approaches the hormonal processes, the ovum-menstrual cycle, menstrual hygiene, and others from this project. ErĂłticas Fluidas approached the critical vision and the political position around sexual and affective education that we want to construct.
V: What are the origins of “RebeldĂa Menstrual” and “ErĂłticas Fluidas”? From your experiences and perspectives, how did these personal projects surge? And what motivated you both to develop them?
Andre: ErĂłticas Fluidas surged in 2020 as a self-managed project where I sold sex toys and articles for sexual pleasure. This is how the focus quickly shifted towards autonomous research, the publication of zines, participation in podcasts, and the creation of various workshops related to sexual and emotional education from a sexually dissident and critical perspective. The motivation for developing the project was and continues to be deeply rooted in a strong conviction that erotic and epistemic justice lies within ourselves, and that through these lived experiences, we can reduce the harm that most sexually and/or gender-dissident people are exposed to.
Nachi: RebeldĂa Menstrual has its origins in 2017, the same year I discovered the menstrual cup and was in my fourth year of studying Obstetrics. Reaching that point in my life and discovering how the menstrual cup was transforming my menstrual experience and the way I understood my vulva, vagina, uterus, and menstruation was a revelation. I thought, more people need to know about the menstrual cup and deserve to know themselves in this way. So, I created a page and started distributing menstrual cups. Through the internet and by participating in various fairs, I began selling cups. Over the years, I expanded to selling menstrual underwear, cloth pads, menstrual discs, and in recent years, even zines. From the very beginning, my goal was always to make information accessible to people. Selling products was just the excuse and a way to bring a bit of economic sustainability to the project.
V: Could you share more about the methodologies you use when creating your zines, from conceptualization to the final design, and how you integrate artistic creativity into the process?
N & A: Our methodology is quite artisanal and improvised; we donât follow formal investigative design processes. Instead, we focused on making a critical compilation of the available material and developing our own ideas about what we wanted to express. This process took us about two years (and was carried out remotely due to the pandemic) to finalize the design virtually. During this time, the illustrator Alineandome joined the project to handle the layout and illustrations for the final zine. Artistic creativity is contributed by everyone involved in the project.
V: In addition to “Menstruaciones No Binarias”, what other projects have you been developing recently, and how do they relate to or expand on the topics covered in this zine?
N & A: We have dreamed of transforming the zine into a workshop, where we can engage in lived, experiential dialogue with people and share the information in other formats, not just through reading. This is a pending project that we hope to bring to life in the future.
V: Finally, what hopes do you have for this zine in the future? How do you envision its impact on international communities, especially in queer and non-binary spaces?
N & A: Our hopes for the zine are that it continues to travel through sexually and/or gender-dissident communities across the world wherever it can reach. This is why the material is open for distribution and available to be sold and shared by anyone who gets in touch with us.
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Valeria: ÂżCuĂĄl fue el momento o experiencia clave que les motivĂł a crear un zine que cuestionara los binarismos en torno a la menstruaciĂłn?
Nachi & Andre: La experiencia clave que nos motivĂł a crear el fanzine fue encontrarnos en la disyuntiva de que la mayoria de los materiales disponibles acerca de menstruaciĂłn estĂĄn hechos, pensados y dirigidos por y desde mujeres cis a mujeres cis, dejĂĄndo de lado toda la vivencia menstruante de las disidencias sexuales y de gĂŠnero. Encontrarnos con esta realidad profundamente esencialista, biologicista y heterocisnormada nos hizo unir nuestros proyectos y crear juntes este fanzine.
V: En el fanzine mencionan que la salud sexual y la experiencia menstruante son tambiĂŠn actos polĂticos. ÂżCĂłmo ven el impacto de este posicionamiento en la lucha por los derechos de personas trans y no binarias?
N & A: Creemos que el mayor impacto es ampliar la visiĂłn de lo que entendemos por los derechos de las personas trans y no binarias mĂĄs allĂĄ de la identidad, junto con visibilizar que hay muchas experiencias posibles cuando hablamos de menstruaciĂłn y ciclos Ăłvulo-menstruales. Decimos que es un acto polĂtico ya que nos permite ampliar el imaginario acerca de las posibilidades de la menstruaciĂłn, particularmente en relaciĂłn a personas disidentes sexuales y/o de gĂŠnero.
V: El fanzine se destaca por su lenguaje inclusivo y accesible. ÂżCĂłmo enfrentaron el desafĂo de crear un material que pudiera resonar con tantas identidades y experiencias diversas?
N & A: Este era uno de los propĂłsitos al crear el fanzine, ampliar las formas de acceder al conocimiento desde nuestra experiencia situada. AsĂ fue como se convirtiĂł en un gran desafĂo lo del lenguaje usado, ya que justamente la intenciĂłn es amplificar las experiencias, no reducirlas. AdemĂĄs, escribimos el fanzine desde nuestras propias voces disidentes sexuales y eso devela una sensibilidad especĂfica a la hora de investigar y elegir cĂłmo se explican y abordan los temas.
V: Hablan de la patologizaciĂłn de la menstruaciĂłn en discursos mĂŠdicos y sociales. ÂżQuĂŠ cambios creen que son necesarios en los sistemas de salud para abordar de manera mĂĄs inclusiva las experiencias menstruantes?
N & A: En principio creemos que todo el sistema de salud deberĂa transformarse y eso implicarĂa reformular la nociĂłn de salud/enfermedad. Si hablamos especĂficamente del tema de la menstruaciĂłn, serĂan urgentes los cambios en temĂĄticas de identidades de gĂŠnero. AsĂ como en las prĂĄcticas de los profesionales de salud, en las acciones comunitarias para el abordaje de la salud sexual, pero tambiĂŠn en polĂticas pĂşblicas que reparen en las vidas de las personas disidentes sexuales y/o de gĂŠnero. Si soĂąamos con cambios, podrĂamos hablar de generar una visiĂłn que realmente sea integral y no sĂłlo biologicista acerca de las personas.
V: ÂżCĂłmo perciben el impacto de las redes de distribuciĂłn internacionales en la difusiĂłn de proyectos como este zine, y quĂŠ retos o beneficios consideran que trae consigo este alcance global?
N & A: En este caso las redes de distribuciĂłn se encuentran en Chile, MĂŠxico y Argentina, teniendo un impacto que por nuestro propio esfuerzo no lograrĂamos. AllĂ es donde radica la importancia de las redes internacionales para difundir los proyectos y que traspasen fronteras por sĂ solos. Parte de los beneficios ha sido tener impacto en comunidades internacionales, ampliar a les lectores del material y recibir retroalimentaciones de contextos que no son el nuestro y eso enriquece muchĂsimo las reflexiones posteriores a la publicaciĂłn.
V: El zine mezcla teorĂa, experiencia personal y prĂĄctica. ÂżCĂłmo equilibraron estas perspectivas y quĂŠ rol tuvo cada una en la narrativa final del fanzine?
N & A: Ambes hicimos aportaciones comunes, querĂamos compartir informaciĂłn de una forma accesible, que normalmente estĂĄ en un lenguaje muy mĂŠdico y academicista y al mismo tiempo compartir reflexiones en nuestros propios tĂŠrminos. Si bien todo el proceso de investigaciĂłn, escritura y creaciĂłn del fanzine fue en conjunto, es cierto que cada une tiene su expertiz por su recorrido profesional y biogrĂĄfico. Desde el proyecto RebeldĂa Menstrual se aportĂł sobre los procesos hormonales, el ciclo Ăłvulo-menstrual, la gestiĂłn menstrual, entre otros. Y desde el proyecto ErĂłticas Fluidas se aportĂł sobre la visiĂłn crĂtica y el posicionamiento polĂtico en torno a la educaciĂłn sexual y afectiva que queremos construir.
V: ÂżCuĂĄles son los orĂgenes de “RebeldĂa Menstrual” y “ErĂłticas Fluidas”? ÂżCĂłmo surgieron estos proyectos personales y quĂŠ los motivĂł a desarrollarlos desde sus experiencias y perspectivas?
Andre: ErĂłticas Fluidas surge en el 2020 como un proyecto autogestivo donde vendĂa juguetes sexuales y artĂculos para el placer sexual. AsĂ fue como rĂĄpidamente el eje girĂł hacia la investigaciĂłn autonĂłma, la publicaciĂłn de fanzines, la participaciĂłn en podcasts y la creaciĂłn de diversos talleres relacionados a la educaciĂłn sexual y afectiva con perspectiva disidente sexual y crĂtica. La motivaciĂłn de desarrollar el proyecto tuvo y tiene que ver con una fuerte convicciĂłn de que la justicia erĂłtica y epistĂŠmica estĂĄ en nosotres mismes y que a travĂŠs de esas vivencias podemos reducir el daĂąo al que nos vemos expuestes la mayorĂa de personas disidentes sexuales y/o de gĂŠnero.
Nachi: Rebeldia Menstrual tiene sus inicios en el 2017, el mismo aĂąo en que descubrĂ la copa menstrual en mi vida y que estaba cursando 4 aĂąo de la carrera de Obstetricia, llegar a ese punto de mi vida y descubrir como la copa menstrual estaba transformando mi experiencia menstrual y la forma que tenĂa de conocer mi vulva, vagina, Ăştero y menstruaciĂłn fue una revelaciĂłn, pensĂŠ que mĂĄs personas tienen que conocer la copa y merecian conocerse asĂ mismas, asi cree una pĂĄgina y comencĂŠ a distribuir copas menstruales, a travĂŠs de internet o participando en distintas ferias comencĂŠ a vender copas, con los aĂąos lleguĂŠ a vender calzones menstruales, toallas de tela, discos menstruales y tambiĂŠn los fanzines estos Ăşltimos aĂąos. Mi objetivo desde un inicio siempre fue poder acercar la informaciĂłn a las personas, el vender productos era la excusa y la forma de poder darle un poco de sustentabilidad econĂłmica al proyecto.
V: ÂżPodrĂan compartir mĂĄs sobre las metodologĂas que emplean al crear sus fanzines, desde la conceptualizaciĂłn hasta el diseĂąo final, y cĂłmo integran la creatividad artĂstica en el proceso?
N & A: Nuestra metodologĂa es bastante artesanal e improvisada, no nos guĂamos por diseĂąos investigativos formales sino que fuimos mĂĄs bien haciendo una recopilaciĂłn crĂtica del material disponible y una elaboraciĂłn propia acerca de lo que querĂamos decir. AsĂ fue como nos tomamos aproximadamente dos aĂąos (y a la distancia producto de la pandemia) en crear el diseĂąo final de forma virtual y donde se sumĂł la ilustradora Alineandome para la diagramaciĂłn e ilustraciones del fanzine final. La creatividad artĂstica es propuesta por todas las personas involucradas en el proyecto.
V: AdemĂĄs de “Menstruaciones No Binarias”, ÂżquĂŠ otros proyectos han estado desarrollando recientemente, y cĂłmo se relacionan o expanden los temas tratados en este fanzine?
N & A: Hemos soĂąado en convertir el fanzine en un taller, donde podamos dialogar vivencialmente con las personas y abrir la informaciĂłn en otros formatos, no sĂłlo de lectura. Este es un proyecto pendiente que esperamos llevar a cabo en el futuro.
V: Finalmente, ÂżquĂŠ esperanzas tienen para este fanzine en el futuro? ÂżCĂłmo visualizan su impacto en las comunidades internacionales, especialmente en espacios queer y no binarios?
N & A: Las esperanzas ligadas al fanzine es que siga viajando por comunidades disidentes sexuales y/o de gĂŠnero de todas las partes del mundo al que pueda llegar, es por esto que el material estĂĄ abierto para distribuciĂłn y disponible para ser vendido y difundido por cualquier persona que se ponga en contacto con nosotres.
Valeria is interning at QZAP this semester. She is in her senior year at University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Gender & Womenâs Studies. She was born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela and now lives in Teejop land (Madison, WI).