Hoax Zine

Hoax is a black and white queer feminist compilation zine co-edited by rachel and sari.

According to the premier issue and flyers the editors still circulate, the zine "attempts to bring feminism into everyday life & finding the connections between us despite our differences". Typical issues discussed include race, gender, sex, sexuality, class, anarchism, trans* identity, sexual assault, politics, mental and physical health, social problems, reproductive issues, eating habits, and personal histories. Each issue contains the reoccurring sections, "I Heart Feminists", "Unsung Feminist Hero", and "Vegan Recipe Time!" among essays and artwork that changes from issue to issue.

Five issues have been published between September 2009 and May 2011, even though issues #1 and #2 are no longer in print. Issue #6 is expected to be finished in November 2011 and is centered around communication.

From [Hoax's tumblr page]http://www.hoaxzine.tumblr.com, here are the details for each issue:

issue #1 is about RELATIONSHIPS and is 1/2 size and 36 pages. essays on consciousness-raising, the "i'm not a feminist, but..." phenomena, money and power in hetero relationships, gendered language, having a feminist boyfriend, a case against marriage, polyamory, racism in friendships, bicycles, reverse sexism and delicious veg(etari)an recipes! [Published September 2009]

issue #2 is about RELATIONSHIPS: REDUX. essays include: what could be called “feminist relationships”, the loss of an animal friend, illegal immigration from mexico to the us, conversations between a perpetrator & survivor (trigger warning), love/hate for one’s home state, forgiving an abusive parent, a physical altercation, use of feminism as a working woman, a letter to an ex, a letter to a father, a queer reponse to straight friends, a butch femme rant, contradictions learned from lesbian feminist parents, getting yer period, pressure to live up to the queer label, dealing with being partially deaf, a mini-history of birth control as well as various comics, a recipe, and music/book/zine recommendations. 1/2 size, 52 pages, text heavy. [Published December 2009]

issue #3's topic is HEALTH! essays include: being queer at the doctor's, female sexual dysfunction, having a congenial heart condition, getting an abortion, how science has affected views on menstruation, menstruating with a blood disorder, reframing addiction, special issues of queer female & lesbian health, (inter)sex & gender, incarcerated women and reproductive rights, what the DSM means for radical people, finding a stray cat & difficulty in finding help with her, hierarchies of animal friends and their care, emotional labor & mental health, whole foods market's employee discount program, aversion to being labeled a victim/survivor of sexual assault, how going vegan improved mental & physical health, recovering from an eating disorder, menstrual product FAQs & myths, and home remedies! also including comic excerpts, feminists we love, a menstrual chart, and vegan recipes! 1/2 size, 64 pages, text heavy. [Published May 2010]

issue #4's topic is HIRSTORIES! essays include: issues of bias & falsified neutrality in using a pen name; girlhood and influences from community and parents; questioning riot grrrl’s contemporary survival; combating gendered notions from parents and coming to learn about feminism; storytelling and transnational feminist theory; comparing the position of women in ancient rome and contemporary united states; jane addams & the hull house; standing up to a teacher who was a perpetrator of sexual assault; community, art, and media autonomy in slovenia; calling out the HRC/liberal gay agenda for perpetuating heteronormativity and assimilation; being a “drag hag”; exploring the idea of living a past life as a witch; being a queer, male-bodied/male-identified pro-feminist; being influenced by a grandmother’s inadvertent feminism; sylvia plath and the feminist inversion of mythology; a brief history of witchcraft; heterosexual brasilian sex tourism; FBI infiltration of the second wave feminist movement; learning about feminism through a father; reflections on working in a women’s shelter; the achievements of jeanette howard foster; coming to be a feminist man & questioning restrictive masculinity; the alchemy of the “caucasian”; in-depth exploration of one’s first triggering experience; becoming a christian feminist; and the radical feminist history of mother’s day. also includes original artwork & comic exerpts, feminists we love, and vegan recipes! 1/2 size, 80 pages, b&w, and super text heavy! [Published December 2010]

issue #5 is about COMMUNITY! essays include: core requirements for a “safe space”; a manifesta written as the basis for the mother ourselves bootcamp for queer folks of color; supporting those who are new to feminism; notes from a trans*feminist; queer land movements; community in the punk scene; environmental consciousness and ecofeminist policy; a comic about food co-ops; looking to create community for one’s child; a coming of age story about radicalization through queer internet forums and punk rock; thoughts on collectives; wanting a more intersectionary feminist community; rethinking personal feminist politics; a comic about the cons of “women’s space;” reflections of a soon-to-be community organizer; a short introduction to the amish community; an intersectional feminist library short list; girl-on-girl crime & the need for unity amongst women; a reinvestigation on sexual assault; the effects of a family member’s suicide; reflections of zine release party that implemented as “safer space” policy; and how the labor movement has helped feminism! also includes an interview with the editors, original art/comics, prose, feminist we love, and vegan recipes! 1/2 size, 72 pages, b&w, and super text heavy! 10% of all proceeds from this issue sold through september will be donated to bo the dog for his knee surgery! [Published May 2011]