Queerulant_in

A - Z

• Format:
• Association, Publisher (Magazine), Organizer of educational events
• Location(s):
• Germany, Göttingen, operates nationwide
• From:
• 2012
• Contact:

• queerulantin.de
  kontakt[a]queerulantin.de

• Main Language Published:
• German
• History:

• Queerulant_in was founded in Gießen in 2012 as a magazine project—in response to the lack of free and political education on LSBT*I*QA issues. Queerulant_in has worked ever since to promote low-threshold access to queer theories and practices and to take up, provoke, or pioneer political discussions. Through freely available political education that is rooted in the LSBT*I*QA community, Queerulant_in hopes to promote diversity and put an end to exclusion and discrimination.

  In order to broaden low-threshold access, Queerulant_in appears in print as well as digitally, for the Internet itself can be a barrier (e.g. for anyone without opportunities to go online, or who lacks the time or academic background to keep up with the numerous queer_feminist blogs and discussions). The digital edition of Queerulant_in offers two options: readers benefit from the screen-reader-friendly, no-layout version—or they can print out the magazine themselves. The content of Issue #8 with its focus on »Trans* and Parenthood« was recorded, too, so as to assure access to blind persons as well as to those who find it difficult to read longer texts. In addition, some of the articles in Issue #8 are available online in English translation.

  More recordings and translations are planned, in order to broaden access. Queerulant_in particularly aims to make heard the voices of people who live queer realities in marginalized communities, especially those who are not academics or don’t express themselves as academics do. In order to make Queerulant_in understandable for as many people as possible, words and concepts are explained in a specially compiled glossary.

  Initially, 300 copies of the magazine were printed but now, owing to popular demand, the print run is 7,500. Issue #10, the latest one, came out in June 2018.

  Besides publishing its magazine the Queerulant_in team devotes itself to other forms of political education.

• Content Focus:

• The not-for-profit association Queerulant_in e.V. promotes the visibility and rights of persons with non-normative gender identities and forms of desire, be these, for example, lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, trans* or inter* (LSBT*I*QA): because all of them continue to face discrimination and stigmatization. Addressing topics often neglected or treated as taboo helps promote the diversity of personal identities and forms of desire.

  » ›Queer‹ is a process, an attitude, a fact, an identity. ›Queer‹ can be all of that—but it can never be nonpolitical. ›Queer‹ may begin for Queerulant_in with gender identities and non-heteronormative desires but it leads to a radical questioning of all kinds of norm. Some examples of such constructs are: national borders, or standards of health and beauty. It’s important to dispute the so-called ›naturalness‹ of conditions and categories (e.g. the gender binary, desire, nationality), which are socially constructed, not dictated by nature. Accordingly ›queer‹ for Queerulant_in means remaining alert to and exposing power structures in order to break down and overthrow these structures. Examples of such power structures are: racism, capitalism, and sexism. Queerulant_in therefore takes a critical position on racism, classism, and ableism, on anti-Semitism, antiziganism/ anti-Romaism, and Islamophobia—not only in queer movements.«

  All the previous issues of Queerulant_in contain articles, columns, poetry, recipes, photography, and much more. For details of the content, see the website.

• Organization and Decision-making Process:

• Queerulant_in e. V. is a not-for-profit association based in Göttingen. All of its members work without pay. It has no office. Its members work from home. An editorial meeting is held roughly every two months, on a rotation basis in one of several German cities. Organization is otherwise dealt with by email or telephone conference.

  The work of Queerulant_in e. V. takes place all over Germany, and also in other countries. The magazine Queerulant_in is mailed to individuals in lots of towns and countries and/ or can be read for free in various institutions. The places it is freely available are not only in Germany but also in Austria, Switzerland, France, and Luxembourg.

  When planning each issue, Queerulant_in publishes open calls for contributions on the specific content focus as well as on other topics. The intention is to encourage people who have never written before to at last put pen to paper—for Queerulant_in aims to be a magazine written by as well as for its community.

• Financing and Support:

• As Queerulant_in has never yet received any fixed funding to cover publishing costs it always depends entirely on donations, project-specific funds, sponsorship, and the like.

  Since founding the association Queerulant_in e. V. in 2017 it has been possible to gain supporting members, which makes planning and budgeting easier.

• Logo: