DEC. 2023 | ISSUE NUMBER 1
LAV ZINE
TURE U F S N A R T IS H T TRANS YOU LOGO story goes here cover WITH Supporting text INthe FILLfor
THE WINTER ISSUE 4
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“You Can Breadth Now”
Defining Gender Identity
Poem by Jay Schroder
Learn what different terms there are to explain one’s gender!
9 “Dear You”
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Writing and Drawing act.
Poem by Niko Shahbazian
Take a chance to reflect and imagine
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show and movies recs for your media needs :)
Poem by Ray Winig
BINGE WATCH
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How to explore gender
For when you want to test out the waters.
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“The Gardener”
LAV ZINE 123 Anywhere St. Any City ST 12345 www.lavenderzine.org hlav@gmail.com Insagram: @lavmagzine
Editor-in-Chief Julia Walsh Managing Editor Julia Walsh Content Director Julia Walsh Art Contributors Colin Laurel, Kai Yangni, Amir Kahdar Photographers Sam Avery, Jaelyn McFadden Contributing Writers Julia Walsh, Jay Schroder, Niko Shahbazian, Ray Winig
OUR
CONTRIBUTORS
University of Wisconsin Madison Unfortunately
James Warwood For supporting the process of this zine creation each Thursday 6:00 - 8:30 PM.
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LETTER TO THE READER Hi you, welcome to the LAV community. You belong here and everywhere. Lavender Magazine, LAV ZINE was inspired by the crossing of barriers and ignoring of boxes that you have been put in. We live in a world that has been split into pink and blue, but here we dare to be purple. We dare to question the lines drawn so deeply in the lines of gender. LAV is for the youth, the promising, and the future. For, trans kids, gender non-conforming kids, queer, kids, and anyone who is curious what it means to trans genders. You are one of many who will exist in the world that we are creating today. The creation of a beautiful future where you do not have to be forced into gender boxes and are listened to when you say‘I don’t feel like the gender I was born with.’ In LAV you can be YOU.
LAV aims to uplift trans voices and provide a space for gender exploration. You deserve a space to dream of a loving future that runs on care. Use this space to look inside, look around, and look forward. Your freedom is essential to this world and the flourishing of it. In LAV you can be inspired by your trans brother and sisters, you can find a community that will hold you for however long you need. You belong here, and you are loved here. Turn the page and learn of the world that waits for you. Find poems written by trans youth, art created by trans artists, photographs taken by trans photographers, stories written by trans voices. This zine is filled by trans thoughts and dreams, listen to them.
Julia Walsh EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
, no boxes No borders, no bounds dare to Lav is for those who assigned dream outside their gender binary.
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“Your joy can be beautiful too”
Jay Schroeder (they/he) Age 14
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Kah Yangni y b m o d e e fr Trans is
“We have to do it because we can no longer stay invisible. We have to be visible. We sh ould not be ashamed of who we are. We have to show the world that we are numerous. There are many of us out there.” - M arsha P. Jackson 6
DEFINING
S N A TR
A.
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Definitions of gender identities: - for exploration not limitation -
Transgender
Nonbindary
People whose gender identity differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. Transgender can be both a standalone identity or an umbrella term that encompasses many different gender identities, including nonbinary and gender-expansive identities. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender.
Non-binary is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. This can be someone who does not wholly identify with male or female regardless of the gender assigned at birth.
Genderqueer
Gender Fluid
When serving as a stand-alone identity, genderqueer can encompass individuals who identify as both a man and a woman; neither man nor woman; moving between two or more genders; or having an overlap or blur of gender and orientation.
Gender fluidity is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression.
Gender Non-conforming
TO READ MORE:
Behavior or gender expression by an individual that does not match masculine or feminine gender norms. A gender-nonconforming person may be variant in their gender identity, being transgender or non-binary, or they may be cisgender
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TheTrevorProject.org
Dear You, dear border, and hye-phen, and good boi and tranny faggot, and most divine, dear Say Their Name I am learning to love the things about me they call foreign The way my name dances on ten letters and how I carry a border on two backs I thought home was supposed to taste sweet prunes that make a mouth curl into itself and rosewater for exhaling hands In Iran, my mom says, it is custom to give breath to hands In America, everything in the name of redemption Like the way the officer says Iran and then takes my father aside for extra questioning Like the way they say ma’am and I think they mean me
What is the name we give for sacrifice, for a rhythm of boundaries or the inhabiting of a space not made Border between what is there and what is not I am beautiful because I sacrificed what was there for what is (not) What is resilient If not the way I tremble before God before Allah before Marsha before Say Their Name before The Next One Dead before those more divine than the blood of our illusions
Poem by Niko Shahbazian, 2017 9
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Yah Yangni
! ! E T I WR Reflect on a time when you felt empowered to express yourself authentically. What factors contributed to that empowerment?
For more prompts! 111
DRAW!! Draw a scene from a world that contains those factors.
For more prompts!
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BINGE WATCH Trans characters to love
TV SHOWS 1. Jules Vaughn (Euphoria) 2. Nomi Marks (Sense 8) 3. Theo Putnam (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)
4. Sophia Burset (Orange Is The New Black) 5. Cole (The Fosters) 6. Elle Argent (Heartstopper) 7. Luna La (Gossip Girl) 8. Vanya Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy) 9. Jewelstar (She-ra) 10. Cal Bowman (Sex Education) 13
Trans characters to love
MOVIES 1. Sin-dee (Tangerine) 2. Marina (A Fantastic Woman) 3. Lili Elbe (The Danish Girl) 4. Biba (Joyland) 5. María José (The House of Flowers) 6. Lara (Girl) 7. Joe (Cowboys)
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Colin Laurel, 2016
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“What is more joyous than change”
Ray Winig (They/them) age 16 16
HOW TO EXPLORE GENDER
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1 LANGUAGE Think about words you use to refer to yourself and your body. Write a list of names and try them out (baby name sites are a good start point) Try different pronouns: He, She, They, etc. Change your name/pronouns on social media accounts Try out different words to describe your body that are more comfortable. Don’t feel ‘locked in’ to a name or pronoun – you can change them at any point if you feel like they don’t honor you
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HAIR Hair can be a gender marker for many people and can sometimes be the cause of dysphoria. Try experimenting with the hair on your body. Change up your hair; dye it another color, shave your eyebrows, grow out or remove your body/facial hair. Wigs and extensions are options too. Make sure to be careful with har removal, use safety razors and only use wax if you have experience.
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CLOTHES Try out some different types or styles of clothing by yourself, look in the mirror and gauge your comfort, do you feel better with one article of clothing than another? Experiment with accessories like jewellery, watches, wallets/purses, bags and hats. Try painting your nails or using stick ons, you can even try out different scents like cologne or perfume and different deoderants!
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MAKEUP For many trans people, wearing makeup can be like wearing a second skin. It's a great way to better express yourself. Concealer and foundation can be used together to help make stubble or light facial hair less obvious. Foundation is often used to even out the skin tone, while concealer is used to hide any blemishes on the face.
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+Info about binding and stuffing
Cassian Miller-Felix (they/them) age 17
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LISTEN
Check out these trans artists for RAD queer music!!!
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atlas
Cavetown
Ethel Cain
Kim Petras
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Trans Youth Equality
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