Feminist Action Project & Zines

Zines

The word “zine” comes from the term “fanzine” which was created in the 1930’s by science fiction fans. By the 1960’s zines showed up again as activist-focused, independent and underground publications that had gained a cult following. Today there are many forms of zines: political and social justice zines, music zines, health zines, etc. and they all stay in relatively low (usually printed) circulation. Because of their underground nature, zines are able to tackle any topic and express opinions quite bluntly. They provide an unedited window into various cultures and subcultures of America for readers that are able to access these zines.

Source: UT Libraries, 2017.

Feminist Action Project

The Feminist Action Project is a student organization at the University of Texas at Austin founded in 2009. They work with the Gender and Sexuality Center to organize events and conversations that invite members of the UT community to participate in dialogue about gender. They also started producing a zine, “Musings of a #Lonely Feminist”, periodically since 2013, with its sixth issue being published in 2016. They both print and upload this zine for viewership in the UT community and beyond. Read below for their full mission statement:

                “Our values as feminists include the intentional intersectional gender justice framework that strives to combat oppressions and promote equity with awareness. We aim to exemplify these values by focusing on moving beyond binaries, valuing individual experiences, deconstructing privileges, and learning from history. We hope to accomplish these goals through openness and discussion, collective learning and engagement with other social justice communities, self-education and collaboration.” (Feminist Action Project Facebook Page)