The zine Menstruaciones No Binarias, published in collaboration by RebeldĂa Menstrual and ErĂłticas Fluidas, is a groundbreaking text that dismantles normative narratives about menstruation. This work redefines the experience of menstruating as a site of critical engagement, inclusivity, and autonomy.
With its visually striking design and theoretically rich content, this zine offers an alternative view to the biomedical and capitalist frameworks that often dominate the menstrual discourse.
The zine is originally in Spanish, so I went ahead and translated key quotes for this post. The English translations are included in the footnotes; in my translation practice I believe in adding the original text within the body of writing and the translation secondary rather than vice-versa to attempt to decenter Anglo-phone literary frameworks in comparative writing through the form of the text.
The authors of Menstruaciones No Binarias are RebeldĂa Menstrual, represented by Nachi (she/they), a nonbinary lesbian and sexual health worker from Mexico, and ErĂłticas Fluidas, a self-managed project led by Andre, a transfeminist lesbian psychologist and advocate for survivors of violence from Chile. The creators describe their work as âuna larga y sentida investigaciĂłnâ1 that questions the implicit binarisms of health and illness, advocating instead for a paradigm that recognizes the diversity of menstruating bodies. As stated in the zine, âDesde ese lugar confluimos, ponemos nuestra energia para que esto se expanda y seguir dialogando con otras experiencias menstruantes. Confiamos en que otro mundo es posible a partir de las practicas de descubrimiento del cuerpo y con ello la rotura de mitos sobre la menstruaciĂłn, considerando la singularidad de cada cuerpo.â2 (pg. 2).
Historically, menstruation has been shrouded in euphemisms and myths that reinforce heteronormative and cisnormative ideals. On page 5, the authors trace the linguistic roots of menstruation, noting its ties to cycles of the moon and seasonal rites: âMenstruaciĂłn: de la palabra mens o âmesâ, del indoeuropeo mehens o âlunaâ y de la palabra râtu o âestaciĂłn, rito.âââ3. These etymologies underline how menstruation has been spiritually and socially significant across cultures, yet systematically erased or sanitized in modern discourse.
One of the zineâs central interventions is to politicize menstrual pain. On page 6, the authors propose: âProponemos comprender el dolor menstrual dentro de una realidad sociopolĂtica que no otorga oportunidades para habitar un contexto de cuidado y/o que nos permita el descanso.ââ4 This reframing shifts responsibility from the individual to societal systems that fail to accommodate the cyclical needs of menstruating bodies.
A recurring theme is the deconstruction of cisnormative assumptions about menstruation. On page 6, the authors challenge the idea that menstruation is inherently tied to womanhood, asking:
 âÂżQuĂŠ pasarĂa si abolimos la idea de que por menstruar nos vamos a convertir en âmujeresâ? ÂżEn cuĂĄles de esas ideas tenemos espacios otras identidades? ÂżEn cuĂĄles de esos mitos tienen cabida las personas que desean hacer terapia hormonal con testosterona? ÂżEn cuĂĄles de estas ideas tienen valor quienes deciden interrumpir sus menstruaciones por voluntad propia?â5
By foregrounding nonbinary and transgender perspectives, the zine opens a much-needed space for inclusive conversations.
The work goes further to interrogate the medicalization and commodification of menstruation. While it critiques pharmaceutical and capitalist interventions, the zine acknowledges the necessity of these tools for some. This nuanced position allows for diverse approaches to managing menstruation, from herbal remedies to hormonal therapies, while respecting personal autonomy.
One of the zineâs most compelling questions appears on page 35: âÂżComo agenciarse colectivamente para vivir menstruaciones dignas?â6â. The authors emphasize the importance of collective care and self-determination in health practices. This micropolitical approach reframes menstruation as not only a personal experience but a communal and political act.
The authors provide a rich theoretical lens through which to view menstruation, connecting it to broader discourses of embodiment, autonomy, and resistance. On page 17, they explore how hormones are part of the âredes de conexionâ7 that shape our bodies, highlighting how hormonal processes defy simplistic categorization: âNuestros vasos sanguĂnos serĂan algo asĂ como redes de conexiĂłn por donde fluyen las hormonas, que al llegar a diversos lugares pueden generar diversas TRANSFORMACIONES.â8 This view aligns with feminist and queer theories that prioritize fluidity over fixity.
On page 24, the creators assert, âCada experiencia es un mundo para cada cuerpo, existen tantas formas de vivir estos ciclos, hay tantas experiencias menstruales como cuerpos y personal mesntruantes en el mundo.â9 This statement underscores the zine’s central philosophy: the individuality and diversity of menstruation defy monolithic narratives. Building from this premise, the text challenges the homogenizing tendencies of both medical and cultural discourses, advocating for the acknowledgment of menstruation as a deeply personal yet communal experience. The authors emphasize that no single framework can encompass all menstrual realities, from those shaped by hormone therapies to cultural rituals and individual preferences. This lens aligns with a broader transfeminist critique of binary and reductionist categorizations, inviting a reimagining of menstrual health that is as multifaceted as the bodies and identities that experience it.
My favorite section starts on page 27 titled âEl registro menstrual en mis propios tĂŠrminosâ.10 The authors introduce a framework they term the âmicropolitica menstrualâ11 emphasizing self-managed sexual health through practices that empower and demystify menstruation. As they note, âEstos ejercicios son parte de una posible micropolitica menstrual orientada a la autogestiĂłn de la salud sexual.â(pg. 28)12 . This approach challenges biomedical and capitalist norms, instead advocating for autonomy and collective care. The micropolitic encourages individuals to track their cycles through diverse meansâwhether using lunar diagrams, digital apps, or traditional methodsâaiming to deepen personal understanding and reclaim agency over oneâs body. By prioritizing such personalized practices, the zine fosters an intimate resistance against systems that historically pathologize or control menstruating bodies, envisioning menstrual self-knowledge as a radical, empowering act.
The zine also addresses the experiences of trans and nonbinary individuals who undergo hormonal therapies, noting that the effects of such treatments vary widely. This attention to diverse experiences emphasizes the individuality of menstrual cycles and the necessity of rejecting one-size-fits-all solutions.
Menstruaciones No Binarias is not just a zine; it is a manifesto for a new politics of menstruation. It invites readers to reimagine their relationships with their bodies and to question societal norms that marginalize and pathologize menstruation. By centering voices that have been historically excluded from menstrual discourse, it charts a path toward greater inclusivity and understanding.
The questions it raisesâabout care, autonomy, and the intersections of identity and biologyâare as urgent as they are transformative. In the spirit of the zineâs call for collective action, this work reminds us that another world is indeed possible, one where all bodies are honored in their singularity and complexity.
- âa felt and extensive investigationââŠ
- âWe converge from this place, we put our energy so that this expands and continues a dialogue
with other menstruating experiences. We trust that another world is possible from the practices of
the discovery of the body and with it, a rupture of the myths about menstruation, considering the
singularity of each body.â⊠- âMenstruation: of the word mens o âmesâ, from the Indoeuropean mehens or âmoonâ and the work ârâitoâ or âstation, ritual.ââŠ
- We propose a comprehension of menstrual pain inside a sociopolitical reality that does not grant opportunities to inhabit a context of care and/or that permits us rest.ââŠ
- âWhat would happen if we abolished the idea that if we menstruate we will convert ourselves into âwomenâ? In which of these ideas do we have space for other identities? In which of those myths is there capacity for the people who wish to have hormone therapy with testosterone? In which of these ideas is there value for the people who decide to interrupt their menstruation out of their own volition?ââŠ
- âHow do we create a collective agency to live our menstruations with dignity?ââŠ
- â…networks of connectionââŠ
- âOur blood vessels would be something like networks of connection where hormones flow, that once it arrives in diverse locations it can generate diverse TRANSFORMATIONS.ââŠ
- âEvery experience is a world for each body, there exist so many forms of living these cycles, there are as many menstrual experiences as there are bodies and personal menstruatees in the world.ââŠ
- ââThe menstrual record in my own termsââŠ
- âmenstrual micropoliticââŠ
- âThese exercises are part of the possible menstrual micropolitic oriented towards autogestation about sexual health.ââŠ
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).
