{queerzine n. a sexy, subversive and explicit publication devoted to enlarging and examining our culture assumptions}
There’s something about zines from the 1990s… they’ve often got common elements that make them instantly recognizeable as being from their time. It’s an aesthetic, and a way of writing. There’s a call to arms, a calling out of cops and governments and the military and anti-gay bigots. There’s a calling in of other queers and zinesters. a “hey, find me, I’m stuck in this shite town and need to connect” vibe… (though this is not at all limited to time – it’s kind of part of zinester DNA.) There are zine reviews, and lists without being listicles, bands listened to, and shows attended. Pop culture drips from the pages, fuelled by cut-and-paste in a pre-WWW, pre-Photoshop world.
Lately we’ve been scanning a bunch of zines from the Emma Center collection which have this vibe. They’re very much of their time, and also rediculously fun and important. Going Homo #2 is a fine example. It’s got all of the above and more.
