MAYA ROSE FERNANDES
In many ways, this has been a year of many firsts for me. If you read my Sunday column regularly, you’ll have read about me having my first IFFI immersion experience last month.
I usually attend the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, but this is the first year I’ve made an effort to see more beyond the art on display.
The only workshop that caught my interest was the zine-making workshop.
Hosted by the zine-making collective, Zinedabaad, and with a fantastic library of various zines on display in the open library they set up in the Old GMC courtyard, they organised a differently themed zine-making workshop every day.
Most of them were focused on food, but the one on pleasure and desire leapt out at me, and I immediately booked a spot.
If you haven’t already seen my web story, Explore a whole new world of Zine-making in Goa, on zines in GT Digital, and you’re wondering what zines are, they’re self-published, non-commercial publications in booklet or leaflet form, created by individuals who have a specific message or interest to share.
Their appeal is centred around non-censorship, mass distribution and low cost production.
Since pleasure and desire are still largely considered taboo subjects, it was refreshing to attend a workshop where these topics were going to be creatively explored, with strangers, no less!
Since pleasure and desire are still largely considered taboo subjects, it was refreshing to attend a workshop where these topics were going to be creatively explored, with strangers, no less!
I’m a bit nerdy, so apart from learning the mechanics of zine production, the most interesting part of the workshop, for me, was learning how zines became popular in India.
In general, they were popularised by the queer community and feminist movements, at a time when talking about subjects of importance and relevance to those communities was in high demand and yet, one couldn’t discuss them in any public forum.
Zines emerged as a powerful and relevant medium within the queer and feminist communities in India, to talk not only about pleasure, sexuality and desire, but also about sexual health.
They became a vital tool for LGBTQIA+ individuals in India to tell their own stories and challenge societal norms without fear of censorship.
Slowly, they created a space for grassroots activism, as messages were shared and zines were easily photocopied for mass distribution.
Individuals felt less alone and a sense of community and belonging were given the space to develop
One of the most well-known zines in circulation was by Lesbians and Bisexuals in Action (LABIA), a Mumbai-based collective for lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men.
One of the most well-known zines in circulation was by Lesbians and Bisexuals in Action (LABIA), a Mumbai-based collective for lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men.
Since 1998, LABIA had been publishing Scripts, a zine that put the voices and concerns of queer women front and centre.
Another has been produced, since 2008, by Gaysi. They provide a platform and safe zone for queer desis from India and across South Asia to share personal stories and more.
Zine-making has been a testament to the resourcefulness and resilience often associated with marginalised communities.
Zine-making has been a testament to the resourcefulness and resilience often associated with marginalised communities.
As society has evolved and conversations around queerness and feminism become more nuanced, the relevance of these zines produced by these communities continues to grow.
In a country where queer and feminist voices have historically been marginalized, zines continue to provide not only a space for individual narratives and other truths to be expressed, but also provide a powerful means for self-empowerment, community building and the celebration of diverse identities.
If you’re interested in learning more about zine-making, look out for upcoming workshops that might pop up in 2024 around Goa. Who knows? You might walk away a zine-making addict, like I did!