Queer Harm Reduction Zine by bradenleehopkins

QUEER HARM REDUX

CURATOR BRADEN LEE HOPKINS WHAT’S INSIDE? What is Harm Reduction? 4 Harm Reduction History is Queer History 10 Harm Reduction in Practice 14 You are not alone. 20 Campus Resource Guide 22 Active Queer Harm Reduction Groups 23 Additional Reading and Viewing 24

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

When I embarked on this project, I did not fully comprehend the people, information, and art it would connect with me. I am incredibly grateful for everyone who shared my flier, took time to speak to me at events, and contributed their own art and stories. I made this for all of the young queer people who feel disconnected from their history. Who just started using drugs and don’t know where to turn. For every queer person who’s experiences have been left out and ignored by our own community. Full queer liberation is not possible until all queer people are included in out activism. Include queer drug users.

This zine would not have been possible with out many mentors who I respect and appreciate deeply. Thank you to my speech coach, Natalie Hedburg, for believing in and trusting me through this process. Thank you to Dr. Catherine Roach and Dr. Heather Ashley Hayes at The Univeristy of Alabama for guidance through the research and writing process. This project is continuous. Please email me at queerharmreductionzine@gmail.com if you have information for something I missed. I guarantee I only covered a fraction of the queer people who made (and conitnue to make) this movement.

WHAT IS HARM

“Harm reduction is about empowering individuals and communities to take control of their own health and wellbeing.” – Amanda Reiman

voices in the back of my mind. I was full of shame. I tried to hide it from my roommate, friends, and everyone else in my life. They knew I smoked weed, but that was all I would share.

I was first introduced to harm reduction during my freshman year of college. I was a square in high school. I smoked some weed, but refused to drink. When I got to the University of Alabama, I was thrust into a party and drug-taking culture I had never been exposed to first hand. I made a lot of mistakes. I visited the hospital. I desperately needed drug eduction.

Growing up, my family didn’t talk about substance use. The conversation would only happen after someone passed away or went to jail. I wasn’t taught explicitly that drugs were bad, but they just weren’t something “we” did. When I started using drugs regularly, I heard dissapointed

When I had to be taken to the hospital to receive seven stitches on my forehead after a night of over-indulgence, I realized that hiding my drug use wasn’t helping me or anyone else. I was putting myself in dangerous situations and loosing trust with the people I loved. About a month later, I began to devote myself to learning the harm reduction practices and becoming someone others could come to who had gone through similar experiences as me.

Harm reduction is not just strategies to prevent overdose, death, and illness. It is a way of life. It is the concept of choosing acceptance over stigma, respect over punishment, and love over hate. It is meeting people where they are, not where you want them to be. It’s understanding that a person’s choice to use drugs is their own, as well as their decision to stop using drugs.

REDUCTION?

HARM

“Syringe Liberation Action” poster, produced by ACT UP San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Laura Thomas. San Franscisco Aids Foundation 2023.

#1: Accepts, for better or worse, that licit and illicit drug use is part of our world and chooses to work to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply ignore or condemn them

#2: Understands drug complex, multi-faceted that encompasses a behaviors from severe abstinence, and acknowledges some ways of using drugs safer than others

#4: Calls for the non-judgmental, noncoercive provision of services and resources to people who use drugs and the communities in which they live in order to assist them in reducing attendant harm

#7: Recognizes that the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex-based discrimination, and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for effectively dealing with drug-related harm

#8: minimize tragic can

FROM PRINCIPLES

PRINCIPLES OF HARM REDUCTION

FROM THE NATIONAL HARM REDUCTION COALLITION

drug use as a multi-faceted phenomenon a continuum of severe use to total acknowledges that drugs are clearly others

#3: Establishes quality of individual and community life and wellbeing — not necessarily cessation of all drug use — as the criteria for successful interventions and policies

#5: Ensures that people who use drugs and those with a history of drug use routinely have a real voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them

#8: Does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger that can be associated with illicit drug use

#6: Affirms people who use drugs (PWUD) themselves as the primary agents of reducing the harms of their drug use and seeks to empower PWUD to share information and support each other in strategies which meet their actual conditions of use

HARM REDUX HISTORY IS QUEER HISTROY

GREGG BORDOWITZ

1964 - Present

Gregg is an original member of ACT UP NYC who connected drug users to the HIV focused movement. In 1988, he was diagnosed with HIV, and continued organizing. He formed DIVA (Damned Interfering Video Activists) in 1989 and Testing the Limits, ACT UP’s group media collective. Scan the QR code below to read the harm reduction zine he curated for MoMA PSI in 2021.

SYLVIA RIVERA

1951 - 2002 (Age 50)

Sylvia Rivera was a Latina woman who identified as a drag queen and later transgender woman. At 17, she was an organizer of the 1969 Stonewall riots, throwing the second molotav cocktail. She was a persistent voice for trans women, sex workers, homeless people and drug users during the queer liberation movement. Sylvia founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) in 1970 with Marsha P. Johnson. STAR was a safe home for queer youth in NYC. Rivera faced immense discrimination within the queer community, including physical violence. She continued to organize until her passing. Sylvia was open about her drug use and struggles with addiction. Harm Reduction would not exist without her.

LAVENDER HILL MOB

Original Members: Bill Bahlman, Sara Belcher, Jean Elizabeth Glass, Michael Hirsch, David Z. Kirschenbaum, Buddy Noro, Michael Perelman, Eric Perez, Michael Petrelis, Marty Robinson, Rand Snyder, and Henry Yeager

The Lavender Hill Mob was created in the summer of 1986 in New York City, by queer activist Marty Robinson. The group started after a rally against the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the right of state to ban sodomy, which received national attention after organizing nearly 10,000 protestors in the city. Founded during the AIDS epidemic, Lavender Hill Mob was one of the first radical grassroots queer organizations. In 1987, the Mob disrupted a Center for Disease Control Conference in Atlanta, wearing striped uniforms with pink triangles –modeled after the one worn during the Nazi Germany led Holocaust. Although Lavender Hill Mob did not focus specifically on reducing the harms of drug use, they did introduce harm reduction practices such as the use of condoms to prevent passing or receiving HIV/AIDS. The radical demonstration of the Mob served as a foundation for future activists in the harm reduction sphere.

ACT UP

ACT UP, or AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, was formed on March 12, 1987, with over 300 people attending the first meeting in New York City. The coalition still exists today with chapters across the country, the most active being New York and Philadelphia. As the first official group to bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic, the organization was initially made up only of people directly impacted by HIV/AIDS, which were disproportionately queer people and intravenous drug users. In addition to advocating for safer sex, ACT UP also advocated

for safer drug use, though the use of clean needles. ACT UP started hosting Harm Reduction demonstrations where they taught users how to clean dirty needs and provided them with materials required like bleach. ACT UP was also one of the first organizations to start syringe exchange programs, and serves as a blueprint for future organizations.

The first Prevention Point Chapter was created in San Francisco in 1988, as an all volunteer, street-based organization that provided syringe exchange services. In 1988, it was illegal to possess a syringe without a prescription in California, but it was even more illegal to have a syringe exchange service. Prevention Point partnered with the San Francisco chapter of ACT UP to further their outreach. For four years, the organization operated totally underground until the Mayor, Frank Jordan, declared HIV a public health Emergency in March 1992. With this announcement, the city of San Francisco committed $138,000 to Prevention Point to continue to provide syringes, now legally. Prevention Point was made up of some of the most marginalized people in San Francisco: queer people, drug users, and those diagnosed with HIV. The organizations’ ability to gain mayoral support was a turning point in queer led activism in the United States. In 1991, ACT UP Philadelphia created their own chapter of Prevention Point, even though it was also illegal in Pennsylvania to have a SEP. Prevention Point Philadelphia exists to this day, serving over 36,300 individuals each year through SEPs alone.

PREVENTION POINT

HARM REDUCTION IN PRACTICE

Scan this QR code for free nalaxone, testing strips, needle exchange services & more. Organized by state.

CLEAN SYRINGES SAVE LIVES!

If possible, always use a new, never used syringe and never share injection equiptment. A disinfected syringe can decrease your chance of HIV. You will need 3 containers, clean water and bleach.

1. In first container, fill up syringe with clean water.

2. Tap or shake syringe for 30 seconds.

3. Discard water from syringe.

4. In second container, fill up syringe with bleach.

5. Tap or shake syringe for 30 seconds.

6. Discard bleach from syringe.

7. In third container, fill up syringe with new, clean water.

8. Tap or shake syringe for 30 seconds.

9. Discard water from syringe.

TEST YOUR DRUGS!

Drug Checking 101

• Public drug testing services are minimal in the U.S., but you can order reagent kits online to test the contents of your drugs (besides cannabis).

• Websites such as dancesafe.org sell full panel reagent screening kits.

REDUCTION PRACTICE

• If you are looking to test a wider variety of substances, visit testkitplus. com. Both sites kits start at around $50, but can be used multiple times. The investment is worth your health!

• You can also mail a sample of your drugs to community organizers at info.streetcheck.org and DrugsData.org. They will lab-test your drugs, send you detailed reports, and publish the results on their websites so others in your area can access information about the current drug supply.

Scan this QR code to access the complete Dance Safe drug checking info and instruction guide.

ALCOHOL

WHAT IS ALCOHOL?

• Alcohol is a natural product of fermenting sugars and is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant drug.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• Low - moderate amounts produce relaxation and increased sociability.

• Large amounts can cause dizziness, nausea, and impaired judgment.

• Overdoses can cause motor control loss, blackouts, passing out, and death.

• A standard drink is defined as 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz of liquor.

• Know your limits and pace yourself. It takes 1.5 hours for a standard drink to be metabolized out of your system.

BE CAREFUL:

• Alcohol has high addiction potential. Withdrawal symptoms can include tremors, seizures and hallucinations

• Long term use of alcohol can damage the liver and other organs and can result in severe, permanent cognitive impairments.

• Drunk driving accidents kill over 10,000 people in the U.S. each year. Never drink and drive.

• Mixing alcohol with other sedatives, including prescription drugs and OTC medications, can be dangerous.

• Consuming too much alcohol at once can cause death through acute alcohol toxicity.

CANNABIS

WHAT IS CANNABIS

• The cannabis plant, also known as Marijuana,contains the major psychoactive compound, Tertahydrocannabinol (THC) as well as Cannabidiol (CBD).

HOW IS CANNABIS USED?

• Cannabis is usually smoked or vaped, but can be eaten.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• In small quantities, users find cannabis relaxing and stimulating, with enhanced senses and sometimes increased appetite.

• Larger quantities can feel similar to a psychedelic by may cause mild hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and vomiting.

• Cannabis is also used as medical treatment to relive symptoms of cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, brain tumors, arthritis, and gastrointestinal reflux.

WHAT IS THE DOSAGE?

• Dosage can vary, but a standard smoke bud dosage ranges from 1/30th to 1/16th of a gram. A normal dose of high quality oil is less than 1/10th of a gram.

• Dosage for oral consumption ranges from 5mg to 100mg.

BE CAREFUL:

• Smoking anything can damage the lungs, throat, and mouth.

• It is important to clean your pipes and other pieces weekly to prevent bacteria.

NICOTINE

WHAT IS NICOTINE?

• Nicotine is a stimulant drug found in the tobacco plant

HOW IS NICOTINE USED?

• Tobacco leaf is smoked in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. It can also be used as dip or chewing tobacco.

• Nicotine is available in liquids of various concentrations to be used in vaping devices.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• Nicotine increases pulse rate and blood pressure and is usually felt immediately.

• First time users may feel dizzy or nauseous, and regular uses report it helps them relax.

• Some smokers say nicotine reduces their appetite, causing them to eat less. BE CAREFUL:

• Tobacco is highly carcinogenic and regular smokers have a much greater risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, and circulatory problems.

• Always smoke outdoors. This decreases cancer risk for you and the non-smokers around you.

• Nicotine has a high addiction potential and regular use can result in physical dependency with long lasting withdrawal symptoms like depression and anxiety.

• Vape juice is largely unregulated and ingredients can vary.

METHAMPHETAMINE

WHAT IS METHAMPHETAMINE?

• Methamphetamine, also known as meth, crystal, glass, and ice, is a stimulant with a long duration, It was first synthesized in 1893 and is sometimes used medically for the treatment of ADHD and obesity.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• Meth increases blood pressure, heart rate, and body temp. It may cause dehydration, overheating, tooth grinding and jaw clenching, and itching.

• Small oral doses can increase alertness and focus. Larger doses, especially when smoked or injected, can cause a speedy euphoria or “rushing” effect.

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DOSE?

• Meth can be swallowed, snorted, smoked, or injected. A light dose is around 5-10 mg, common dose 10-30 mg, and a large dose 30-40 mg.

• Oral administration is by far the least risky with slowest onset. BE CAREFUL:

• Coming down from meth can make you feel tired, anxious, and depressed. This can lead to compulsive re-dosing.

• Some people enter patters of multi-day binging, especially if using shorteracting and more intense routes of administration.

• Long-term use can damage neurons, resulting in Parkinson’s-like symptoms.

HEROIN

WHAT IS HEROIN?

• Heroin is made from the opium poppy and belongs to the class of drugs knows as opiates. Opiates bind to opiate receptors in the brain.

• Heroin can come as a white/brownish powder or as a dark/sticky substance. It is most often injected, but can also be snorted, smoked, or ingested orally.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• As a central nervous system depressant, heroin reduces physical pain and produces feelings of euphoria by slowing down breathing and heart rate.

• Injection causes immediate effects, smoking in a few minutes, and snorting within 10-15 minutes and often lasts 3-5 hours.

BE CAREFUL:

• Heroin is almost always adulterated with other drugs, sometimes including extremely powerful synthetic opioid such as fentanyl. It is never pure.

• Mixing heroin with other CNS depressant increases risk of overdose.

• Sharing needles and unsanitary injection practices can lead to HIV, Hepatitis, abscesses, and bacterial infections. Try to use a clean needle every time.

• Heroin has high addiction potential with painful physical and psychological withdrawals.

WHAT IF SOMEONE OVERDOSES?

• If not breathing, call 911, administer nalaxone, and begin mouth-to-mouth.

PSILOCYBIN

WHAT IS PSILOCYBIN?

• Psilocybin is found in a variety of mushrooms, and is also called “magic mushrooms” or just mushrooms.

• Mushrooms have been used by many indigenous cultures for thousands of year. They were famously introduced by Maria Sabina in Oaxaca, Mexico.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• Mushrooms last 4-6 hours, and are known to connect people deeply to nature.

• Mushrooms sometimes produce visuals for individuals, but not everyone. Even without visuals, they can have major impacts on self perception.

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DOSE?

• Mushrooms are usually eaten raw or brewed into tea, typically dried out.

• The amount of psilocybin in various strains of mushrooms can vary greatly, but a typical dose is 1.5 to 2.5 grams, while a threshold dose is around .25 grams.

• Start with a small dose and don’t take more till 1.5 hours have elapsed.

BE CAREFUL:

• People with family history of mood or psychotic disorder may be at increased risk of psychological upset after taking mushrooms.

• Some individuals experience nausea on mushrooms, lemon tea may help.

WHAT IS LSD?

• Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic drug often absorbed into small pieces of paper called “blotter” or found in liquid form.

• LSD is very powerful and a typical dose is between 100 and 200 micro-grams.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• LSD experiences are often known as a “trip” because they feel like a journey composed of 1. The Onset 2. The Plateau 3. The Peak 4. The Comedown

BE CAREFUL:

• Because of prohibition, LSD is unregulated and should be tested before use.

• LSD can sometimes be frightening and cause extreme anxiety and panic.

• LSD may precipitate the onset of schizophrenia in genetically predisposed individuals. It can also cause Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HHPD).

• LSD can impair judgment. Never drive on LSD.

WHAT IF SOMEBODY IS HAVING A DIFFICULT TRIP?

• ‘Set’ (mental state being brought to the experience) and ‘Setting’ (physical and social environment) are important factors to have a positive experience on LSD.

• If someone is having a difficulty psychological experience on LSD, take them to a quiet place and find a friend who can reassure them it will pass.

• If you are at a festival, find out if Zendo is there. The Zendo Project provides safe spaces with trained staff to assist people having difficult experiences.

POPPERS/AMYL NITRATE

WHAT ARE POPPERS?

• “Poppers” are a slang term for a class of chemicals called “alkyl nitrites”. They are prominent in queer communities as a part of queer club scenes.

• Nitrites are used medically to treat angina and recreationally are sold as “video head cleaners”, “polish removers” or “room deodorizers”.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

• Poppers effects are felt within a few seconds and last one to four minutes.

• Nitrites relax smooth muscle tissue around blood vessels, which relax muscles.

• Poppers produce a “rush” sensation, and a feeling of “being in the moment”.

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DOSE?

• Poppers are inhaled by holding one nostril and breathing in air wafted from bottle. It is advised to alternate nostrils for 2-4 inhalations, always wafting.

BE CAREFUL:

• Swallowing the liquid is extremely dangerous. Call 911 or poison control.

• Poppers are highly flammable, keep them away from cigarettes and lighters.

• Mixing poppers and stimulant can increase risk of overheating and other heart and blood pressure related issues. Combining with Viagra can be dangerous.

LSD/ACID

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

1-877-696-1996

Call the Never Use Alone Overdose Prevention Lifeline if you are thinking of using drugs alone. You will be connected with a real person who will talk + check in with you through the entire experience. This hotline is ran completely by volunteers who use/used drug or lost a child to drug use. Available 24/7, 365 days a year.

NATIONAL QUEER AND TRANS THERAPIST OF COLOR NETWORK

FACES & VOICES OF RECOVERY ALLIANCE FOR RECOVERY CENTERED ORGANIZATIONS (ARCO) MEMBER MAP

RECOVERY DOES NOT GET HELP EVEN THESE RESOURCES ARE

FINDTREATMENT.GOV

THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL TREATMENT CENTER DATABASE AND RESOURCE MAP

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS REGIONAL MEMBER NETWORK DATABASE

NOT ALWAYS MEAN SOBRIETY. YOU CAN EVEN IF YOU’RE GOAL IS NOT TO BE SOBER. ARE HERE FOR YOU. YOU DESERVE THEM. I AM PROUD OF YOU.

JOIN (OR CREATE YOUR OWN) REDUCTION

ACCESS THE CAMPUS RESOURCE GUIDE HERE

Find information for starting your own queer-led harm reduction organization on your college campus. Many of these resources can be transfered for non-campus organizations and groups as well. If you’re a part of the Queer Student Association or Union on your campus, share this information with them. See if your campus has any clubs such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy, End Overdose, addiction & recovery support groups, psychedelic interest/research groups, etc. Share this information to create spaces that are safe and welcoming to queer people!

OWN) QUEER-LED HARM

REDUCTION ORGANIZATION

CONNECT WITH ACTIVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT, UPLIFT, AND EMPOWER QUEER DRUG USERS!

• THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE

https://drugpolicy.org

• THE NATIONAL HARM REDUCTION COALITION

https://harmreduction.org/

• THE LIGHTHOUSE LEARNING COLLECTIVE

Instagram: @hrc_lighthouse

• DECRIMINALIZE NATURE

https://www.decriminalizenature.org/

• SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT (SWOP)

https://swopusa.org/

• SOLUTIONS NOT PUNISHMENT COLLABORATIVE

https://www.snap4freedom.org/about

• WOMEN WITH A VISION

https://wwav-no.org/

• SOAR WEST VIRGINIA

https://soarwv.org/

• VOICES OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND LEADERS

https://www.vocal-ny.org/

• CAL-PEP

https://www.calpep.org/

• BAY AREA SEX WORKER ADVOCACY NETWORK

http://www.bayswan.org/

• CHICAGO RECOVERY ALLIANCE

https://anypositivechange.org/

BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Queering Psychedelics

Edited by Alex Belser, Clancy Cavnar, and Beatriz C. Labate

Tweakerworld

By Jason Yamas

Healing Justice Lineages

By Cara Page and Erica Woodland

UNDERSTANDING

Saving Our Own Lives

By Shira Hassan

The Harm Reduction Gap

By Sheila P. Vakharia

Pleasure Activism by adrienne

maree brown

EXPLORE MEDIA ABOUT THE QUEERNESS AND FAST TRIP, LONG DROP

BY GREGG BORDOWITZ

Scan the QR code to view purchasing options. May also be available at your University’s library.

EXPLORE WORK

BY NAN GOLDIN

The documentary, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”, is about the photographer, artist, and activist Nan Goldin. The film focuses on Nan’s advocacy during the HIV/AIDS movement in the 80/90s and her current protest artwork on the opioid crisis. You can stream the movie with an HBO Max membership, or rent/purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Vudu. Find her on Instagram @nangoldinstudio to see more of her work.