“Fugazi Saved My Life: How Punk Made Me Less of an Asshole” is the latest zine from Microcosm Publishing, exploring the transformative impact of punk music. The issue focuses on a 1993 Fugazi gig, while its predecessor celebrates Yeastie Girlz, a punk band challenging societal norms. Both zines convey punk’s role in personal growth and social awareness.
Since May, a group of concerned citizens known as the Drag Storytime Guardians have supported Drag Story Time and Pride events throughout Southwestern Ontario. At the heart of the guardians is a 70-year-old biker, Sista Patricia, who has been putting what she has learned, marching for the rights of women and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, into action to protect families and drag queens from far-right fanatics who show up at libraries to protest Drag Story Time.
In this episode, Sista Patricia discusses how she came to be involved with the Guardians, the work they are doing and her thoughts on why the protesters are feeling bold enough to show their hate without regard for how they are perceived in this era.
In a related theme to the main focus of this episode, Woodstein Media also wishes respect and love to the Minneapolis, Minnesota music scene based around the 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly punk music venue Nudieland. Sadly, on August 11, the house venue was the scene of a mass shooting that injured six people and killed one beloved member of the scene, August Golden.
On Sept. 8, the evening before the official release of MVLL CRIMES 12” EP “YOU EMBVRRVSS ME,” lead singer Jillian Clair took the opportunity to avoid helping her bandmates to load in for a show at Doors Taco Joint and Metal Bar in Hamilton, Ontario, instead having a conversation with Woodstein Media. The chat took some unexpected turns as connections through the music and zine community were discussed in a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon way, which led to as much talk about the reporter’s accomplishments as the new MVLL CRIMES release. You have been warned.
Somewhere in the greater Cleveland area, Melissa and Matt Trahan stumbled from punk rock to creating vegan snack treats for those who want the chewy drool-inducing flavour of jerky without the cruelty caused by the meat industry.
Pleather is vegan, non-meat, super-tuff seitan jerky, and its texture has captured the tastebuds of vegans, vegetarians and people who want to cut back on their meat consumption.
The Rural Ontario Community of Queer Youth is creating a zine to share rural LGBTQ2S+ voices.
They are looking for submissions of artwork, crafts, poetry, writing, collages, photography, and anything else creative that people feel fits the four themes – future, love, community, and resilience.
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