Zines
Bitter Feels: A Non-Binary Femme Affirmation Zine by Billy Bitter
content warning: mention of sexual violence, mention of trauma, gender dysphoria
Bitter Feels is a rant in zine form, in which Billy discusses being misgendered, gender identity, transphobia, and how all of it relates to mental health and trauma. They created it to affirm their gender – and it might affirm yours, too.
Palestine, BLM, & Boycott in the Arts by Decolonize This Place
Decolonize This Place describes themselves as “an action-oriented movement centering around Indigenous struggle, Black liberation, free Palestine, global wage workers and de-gentrification.” In this zine, various authors discuss the importance of prioritizing pro-Palestine and pro-Black attitudes within the arts. It also provides tips for resisting the “art-washing” of occupation. It’s a must-read for everyone involved in the arts and can be accessed for free online!
Podcasts
“Fearing the Black Body” (an episode of The Nod)
content warning: fatphobia
Hosted by Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings, The Nod “tells the stories of Black life that don’t get told anywhere else.” We’d like to highlight the episode “Fearing the Black Body,” which discusses how harmful trends like fitspo and fad diets are linked to racist pseudoscience. Featured in the episode is Sabrina Stings, “sociologist and author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, whose groundbreaking research parses the intersection of thinness, whiteness, and beauty ideals.”
Code Switch
With the tagline “race and identity, remixed,” Code Switch explores “overlapping themes of race, ethnicity and culture, how they play out in our lives and communities, and how all of this is shifting.” Featuring a team of talented journalists of colour, the podcast has explored topics such as mass incarceration, voter disenfranchisement, and cultural identities.
“We Don’t Say That” (an episode of Rough Translation)
content warning: racial slurs
Rough Translation is a podcast that examines how things are talked about in different regions and by different communities. One of our favourite episodes is “We Don’t Say That,” which discusses racial language in France, where “for decades you weren’t supposed to talk about someone’s Blackness, unless you said it in English.” The episode follows a group of people who developed language surrounding Blackness in French.
Books
Fun Home, A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
content warning: suicide, homophobia
Fun Home is a beautiful memoir of Bechdel’s complex relationship with her father: a gay man whose sexuality was only revealed after his suicide. Through the graphic novel, Bechdel rediscovers her father through this new lens, simultaneously tracing her own path through her identity, her childhood, and her grief.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
content warning: homophobia
A quintessential lesbian coming-of-age story, The Miseducation of Cameron Post captures the realities of growing up gay, facing homophobia, and experiencing grief. Readers follow every step of Cam’s life, laughing, crying, and aggressively relating along the way. And after you finish, you can watch the movie for free on Kanopy!
Other
Nanette by Hannah Gadsby
content warning: sexual violence, homophobia
Nanette is a heart-wrenching, deeply personal comedy special by lesbian comic Hannah Gadsby. It’s not quite comedy – and not quite anything else. Gadsby keeps her audience guessing, masterfully using discomfort to make people laugh, cry, and think a little harder. If you have any complex feelings whatsoever about gayness, trauma, or confessional humour, this is the show for you.
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo
Directed by Brian Jordan Alvarez, this web series, with its snappy dialogue and surreal, absurdist framing, captures queer life in a way that somehow just gets it. With lines like “we’re in a three-way lesbian centric semi-non-sexual throuple with us and Miles,” you’ll be mad at how well Alvarez has captured the modern, city queer experience. And trust us – you’ll love Freckle.
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
content warning: homophobia, mentions of anxiety
Written by Ngozi Ukazu, this sweet webcomic (which is ongoing!) follows the university days of Eric Bittle – a southern, pie-baking, vlogging, former-figure-skating-champion-turned-hockey-player. Also, he’s gay. Check, Please! features moments of hilarity and tears as Eric navigates new friendships and relationships, as well as the overwhelming “bro” culture of college sports.