there used to be a group in unceded Coast Salish territory (Vancouver, BC) called the Femme Affinity Group (FAG). FAG did a series of compilation zines around femme identity, and they were amazing, empowering, community building, inspirational works. i recently came across the extra back issues and realized that the third zine was compiled 10 years ago!

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i loved working on the FAG zines, and i think it’s time to do something similar again. FAG’s not active anymore, but femmes still are! we still need community, we still need empowerment, we still need support, we still need all of the benefits of writing that reflects our realities.

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i’m looking for submissions of writing or imagery around the theme of femme identity.

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some ideas:

– what does femme mean to you?

– has your identity or your definition changed?

– on being a non-binary or gender queer femme

– femme as a gender identity, femme as a sexual identity

– femme tops, femme bottoms, femme switches

– femme and kink, femme and age play

– asexual femmes, aromantic femmes, celibate femmes

– how femme intersects with other aspects of your identity

– how femme is limited by other aspects of your identity

– practical tips on how to how to express femme identity while respecting other belief systems (anti-capitalism, veganism, not appropriating other cultures in our expressions of femme)

– what does femme community mean? what do you want from it? do you feel included in it? what are your hopes and dreams for community? how can we support femmes who aren’t included/prevent cliques? how can we work towards a stronger community?

– how your version of femme is influenced by your personal history

– what struggles do you experience as a femme?

– what are the joys of being femme?

– femme and feminism

– femme and sex work

– have you always been femme?

– how important is your femme identity to you? is it integral, or peripheral?

– how do we fight again femmephobia and femme invisibility?

– how are femmes affected by toxic masculinity?

– how are femmes affected by toxic femininity?

– butch/femme, femme/femme, femmes and relationships in general

– femmes of colour, qtpoc femmes, black femmes, indigenous femmes

– power femmes, fierce femmes, femme daddies, femme mommies, gentle femmes, grandmafemmes, soft femmes, hard femmes

– being a dis/abled femme, a neurodivergent femme, a mentally ill femme

– femme role models

– femme self care, supporting ourselves as femmes

– femme as art, femme as performance

– differences between femme and feminine

– anything else you’re inspired to write about or create about!

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SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 15, 2017

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please send submissions or any questions to amyamydameATgmailDOTcom

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please include a short bio with your submission, and contact info/website/IG/etc if you’d like it included. if you’d like to submit anonymously, that’s cool too!

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i’m not going to judge submissions on any merit other then how it’ll reproduce in b&w (keep that in mind for artwork please!), but if your piece is oppressive in any way (racist, misogynist, fatphobic, transmisogynist, classist, ableist, cissexist, etc) it won’t be included. i honestly haven’t decided what i’ll do if i receive any submissions that try to define who is allowed to be femme, and i’ll consult with other femmes if that does come up.

submissions can be edited for grammar/etc if you’d like me to, but they don’t have to be. please write your own story in your own words!

submissions do not need to be written specifically for the femme zine, as long as you can give permission for it to be reprinted.

I’m not able to provide payment for submissions, but everyone will receive a copy of the zine. this zine is not a for-profit venture, and will be provided free of charge to those who are unable to donate towards the printing/mailing costs.

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about me: i’m a white queer AFAB genderqueer femme with disabilities who’s doing this because it’s something i want to see happen. i especially welcome submissions and feedback from people who have different backgrounds than me, femmes who experience the world differently.