In honor of Transgender Awareness Month, Wasted Ink Zine Distro (WIZD) is pleased to announce a new publishing program called Archiving Trans Voices. WIZD invites 75 trans adults living in Arizona to join a 6-month in-person and virtual cohort between Nov 2025 - June 2026. The cohort comprises seven workshops over three activities: Reading, Zine Making, and Archiving. The group will read three zines by trans authors and have Q&A and discussion. Next will come a series of two zine workshops where the group will create and publish their own zines. The cohort will culminate in two archiving workshops and participants will archive a set of zines and their newly created zine. The Wasted Ink Trans Zine Library Collection will launch the summer of 2026.

We're partnering with local archivist programs like the Community Driven Archives (ASU Tempe) and Arizona Queer Archives (Tucson) to provide physical and digital archiving training and examples of their archives. We’ll use our zine librarian interns to help grow the archive. And we’ll use our partner and archive platform Permanent.org to host the final Trans Zine Archive which will be freely available to the public. This program is supported by the Arizona Community Foundation through the Kellenberger Philanthropy grant. ​

"Our goal is to immerse trans Arizonans in stories they see themselves in, empower them to make 75 new zines, and teach them how to archive their zines and stories. Our goal is to host a program where trans individuals take ownership of their stories and the longevity of their realities."
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We hope you'll join us and tell your friends about this free program!​
First, we'll mail you three zines by trans authors to read and makes notes about. After you've read them, we'll have discussion groups with Q&As for each zine in January and February.  
Next, we'll introduce you to two local trans zine makers in March and April who will share their zines with you and help guide you through two zine-making workshops to help you complete a zine of your own!
Lastly, in May and June, you'll meet with two local zine archivists to learn about archiving zines. You'll archive your own zine and a handful of other zines to help launch the Wasted Ink Trans Zine Collection in the Summer of 2026. 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
  • What is a zine?
    • From ZineWiki.com: "A zine (pronounced zeen)–derived from magazine–is an independently- or self-published booklet, often created by a single person. Zines are customarily created by physically cutting and gluing text and images together onto a master flat for photocopying, but it is also common to produce the master by typing and formatting pages on a computer. The end product is usually folded and stapled. Zines can be printed and bound in any manner. " Check out Wasted Ink Zine Distro for some more examples!
 
  • I am not openly trans/nonbinary; can I participate in this project?
    • Yes! So long as you self-identify as transgender, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, gender-fluid, agender, intergender, pangender, or any other identity along the spectrum, using any terminology you choose, you are eligible to participate. You do not need to be “out” in any sense of the word; your identity as a participant will not be made public, and you can use an alias when you publish your zine. We will not out you during this project. 
 
  • Do I have to currently live in Arizona to apply?
    • This project aims to showcase the voices of trans and nonbinary individuals in Arizona, reflecting this particular community at this particular moment in time. You must primarily reside in Arizona to participate in this project, though it’s okay if you are currently not in Arizona during the dates of the workshops–in this case you may participate in the virtual workshops.
 
  • I participated in TransForming Arizona a few years ago. What’s the update on that project?
    • We’ve kept our progress quieter about this project but if you’re a confirmed previous participant, please email us and we’ll reply with a one-sheet update on the project! It’s all going well! 
 
  • How many hours should I plan to commit for the cohort?
    • ​​We anticipate participants spending 15-20 hours between workshops, discussion groups and solo working time over six months between January-June 2026.
 
  • Where will the workshops and events take place?
    • All in-person gatherings will take place in central Phoenix. We will release the venue address to participants just before the workshops and events occur. Otherwise, the virtual events will occur over Zoom for folks who live outside of Phoenix or who would benefit from a virtual offering.
 
  • What safety measures will be in place for in-person participation?
    • All people involved in the development, implementation, and staffing of the project are transgender and/or queer. Working exclusively with trans individuals will support the safety and comfort of participants. Event and workshop locations will not be publicized and will only be disclosed to participating registrants. Trans-allied security staffing will also be on hand for all in-person events.
 
  • When is the deadline to apply?
    • Please sign up by December 15 so we can begin mailing you zines!
 
  • How are you accepting participants for this project?
    • The project organizers will accept eligible participants on a first come, first served basis. There is no judging process beyond trying to include as many participants as possible until we reach capacity. For the safety of all participants, you may be asked to complete a brief Zoom check-in with the organizers to confirm your application.
 
  • When will we know if we’ve been selected to participate?
    • We will notify participants by mid-December. You may not hear back right after you submit, as we will wait until we’ve received enough submissions to schedule a full cohort before reaching out to coordinate with everyone.
 
  • Is there any cost to participate?
    • No; grant funding has allowed us to cover the costs of the cohort for all participants. 
 
  • What should I make my zine about?
    • Content is entirely up to you. The workshops will provide some creative prompts that you can choose to respond to, or you can go in any direction you please! Your zine does not have to be “about” your gender; you can make it about anything that interests you or anything you wish to express or share.
 
  • What if I’m struggling to complete my zine?
    • We are here for you! In-person and online working sessions will be held in between in each workshop, and the project team will be available to chat and answer individual questions throughout the process. You do not need to have any fancy tool or materials to make a zine, and we’ll help you with next steps using whatever materials you have on hand at home!
 
  • Who will be printing and publishing my zine? 
    • Wasted Ink Publishing will print your finished zine and will host the digital zine archive collection. Each participant will receive a number of their finished zines to share with others. 
 
  • Who will own my zine once it is published?
    • You! While we will be helping to print and archive the zines, you retain all publishing rights. This means you can create additional copies of your zine to swap and sell, upload your entire zine for viewing online, and do with it as you wish! We will not make copies of your zine to sell; the copies we make will only be donated to collections and libraries throughout the state.
 
  • What if I have questions that aren’t addressed here?