I’ve spent the last day or two completly immersed in Qzap–the Queer Zine Archive Project. According to the website, the mission of QZAP is as follows:

“The mission of the Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) is to establish a “living history” archive of past and present queer zines and to encourage current and emerging zine publishers to continue to create. In curating such a unique aspect of culture, we value a collectivist approach that respects the diversity of experiences that fall under the heading “queer.”

The primary function of QZAP is to provide a free on-line searchable database of the collection with links allowing users to download electronic copies of zines. By providing access to the historical canon of queer zines we hope to make them more accessible to diverse communities and reach wider audiences.”

I’ve already found an amazing number of zines that are thought provoking, challenging, interesting, funny, and just plain good reads. Right now, I am reading Ungrateful Black-White Girl, the testimony of a biracial queer girl who is trying to figure out how to deal with her ‘mixed’ self. Check it out!

EDITED TO ADD: Noemi just informed me in comments that this website may have published author’s zines without their permission. I think that it’s important to note this if only to point to how the work that is not protected by a publishing company is *still work* and needs to be honored as such. Zines should not be reproduced without the consent of the author!!!!