ORACLE ZINE
A community guide for transgender people living in the Midwest and beyond.
Oracle Zine is a free quarterly publication created by and for the transgender community and those who love them. Inside you’ll find information on social gatherings, community care, local & national resources, as well as underrepresented narratives and media. For us, the word “oracle” refers to a prophetic person or object that reveals hidden knowledge and divine purpose; thus, when our readers open the pages of Oracle Zine, we strive to create a similar experience for them to learn about connected histories, gain insight on present day conversations, and receive guidance to creating a collaborative futures. We are currently based in Transas City, Missouri and are distributed across the Midwest and beyond!
The Oracle Zine Team is deeply honored to continue a legacy of interesting and informative print media for transgender people. We frequently find inspiration in archived LGBTQ+ publications of all sorts, the democratic potetnial of the internet, as well as the community that surrounds us. These past and present sensibilities serve as a key reference point when developing our upcoming releases.
We are so proud to uplift a community that values creation and self-discovery despite facing decades of harmful legislation, media censorship, and unfair discrimination. As the language we use to describe ourselves and our experiences continues to evolve, we strive to collect and archive those narratives into the Oracle Zine pages to the best of our abilities. We adamantly refuse to be the curators, tastemakers, or gatekeepers of transgender culture; instead, we strive to exist as a tangible experience that allows one to hold their community close by building bridges and representing transgender histories both within the archive and our every day lives.
THE ORACLE ZINE TEAM
The Oracle Zine Team is a dedicated group of individuals who help with the research, organization, assembly, distribution, and promotion of our compact mini-zine. In order to best represent the broad spectrum of the transgender experience, we strive to involve individuals and organizations that come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
The project is organized and designed by the Triangle Head Universe, printed quarterly by Kansas City-based Astringent Press. Research and archival materials from the GLAMA Archival Collections at UMKC. Last, but certainly not least, the zine is assembled and distributed thanks to the wonderful Oracle Zine Team volunteers.
Each publication is physically and/or digitally saved within accessible collections such as the Internet Archive, the Digital Transgender Archive, and the GLAMA Archives at UMKC in order to preserve our histories for our current and future community members to know that we have always been here and that we are not going anywhere.
BUY A PHYSICAL COPY | PRINT IT YOURSELF | REQUEST THE ORACLE (COMING SOON!)
COMMUNITY WRITING PROMPTS
***BE INCLUDED IN OUR FIRST ISSUE!***
Inspired by the colorful history of Personal Ads, our community writing prompts invite readers to contribute their thoughts, feelings, and experiences directly into the pages of not just the Oracle Zine, but transgender history itself. Because our history and individual livelihoods are often lost to time, we see this as an opportunity to expand and grow, to deepen our understanding, and provide a wealth of information for future generations. Readers are highly encouraged to respond to each prompt with whatever they feel comfortable sharing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE ORACLE? The Oracle is a DIY publication that focuses on amplifying transgender voices, events, and connected histories within the Midwest. Inside you’ll find information on community care, social gatherings, local and national resources, as well as underrepresented narratives and media.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE ORACLE? The Oracle is predominantly available for FREE at various in-person gatherings happening within the greater Kansas City area. You can find a FREE digital copy that you can print yourself at https://archive.org/details/@oraclezineteam, printed and assembled back issues are available online at www.triangleheaduniverse.com/shop.
WHO CREATES THE ORACLE ZINE? The Oracle Zine is brought to you by a dedicated team of volunteers that meet regularly to research, organize, assemble, and distribute the DIY publication. It is created by and for transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive people, as well as the folks that care about them.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE ORACLE? Support the Oracle financially by purchasing a physical copy in the official Triangle Head Universe online shop. If you are in the Kansas City area and would like to get involved or to make a paper donation, please send us an email at theoraclezineteam@gmail.com