“The roots of the archives lie in the silenced voices, the love letters destroyed, the pronouns changed, the diaries carefully edited, the pictures never taken, the euphemized distortions that patriarchy would let pass.”

• Joan Nestle, Lesbian Herstory Archives Newsletter, 1979

QUEERS, READ THIS!

October 19 - December 17, 2021

EXHIBITION STATEMENT

Rooted in the legacy of mid-late 20th century printed matter and DIY Queer publishing aesthetics, QUEERS, READ THIS! explores printed media influenced by radical Queer ideology, a lust-for-life mentality coming from the uncertainty of Queer futures in the face of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, and employs strategies of network building, resource sharing, and mutual aid stemming from pre-Stonewall Queer media that was often shared through the mail and consumed in secret. In her essay, Representation, Liberation, and the Queer Press, Polly Thistlewaite asserts;

“Queer people lay special claim to the power of the printed word. It is through it, consumed privately and anonymously, that we often first call ourselves Queer, where we find others who think what we think, do what we do, write what we feel.” 

While we have our radical Queer godfairies to thank for the progress that has been made, the need for Queer publications and disseminated media has never subsided. Early Queer publications often focused on what it meant to be Queer, what Queer life was, and how to evade the law. As Queer radicalism came to the forefront of conversations post-Stonewall, print media shifted towards activism and resistance, and was galvanized by the urgency of AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s.

QUEERS, READ THIS! looks at contemporary artists, independent publishers, and collectives that use printed matter as a practice of 21st century liberation and resistance. Compiled into an interactive reference library and archive, the editions included explore topics ranging from Queerness, LGBTQIA+ rights, Trans identity, gender, race, and politics. 

There are many lessons that we can take away from consuming queerly printed matter, whether you are Queer or not. At the heart of the Queer DIY publishing world is community and the necessity to continually amplify marginalized voices across all intersections of Queerness. As we move into a new genesis of Queer art and media, the influence of Black Trans Abolitionists and our Queers of Color Ancestors who paved the way for us must been centered. The Queer press has shaped and reflected the rise of Queer Liberation since its inception and has the power to find, unite, and empower Queers across regional, class, cultural, and generational boundaries.

ZINE WORKSHOP

VAE invites all Queer members of the community to explore their identity with a page in a collective zine as part of our very first Zine Workshop. Submissions for VAE Raleigh’s Zine Workshop will be open to any living Queer artist that resides in the United States. All work submitted must be original. Request a Zine Page Kit free of charge while supplies last! Zine Page kits will be distributed to artists and work MUST be returned through Fedex no later than December 31st. Triangle residents are encouraged to hand deliver their page to us. 

Submissions for VAE Raleigh’s Zine Workshop will be open to any living Queer artist that resides in the United States. All work submitted must be original. Request a Zine Page Kit free of charge while supplies last! Zine Page kits will be distributed to artists and work MUST be returned through Fedex no later than December 18th. Triangle residents are encouraged to hand deliver their page to us.