Health and strength in the margins: an intersectional analysis of zines authored by queer and transgender communities of colour

Zines, in the form of independently published print media, are underutilised resources for learning about the health of marginalised communities. Aligning our paper with critical approaches, we examined zines entries (n = 33) authored by Queer and Transgender Black, Indigenous, and other People of Colour (QTBIPOC) for themes of health, strength, oppression and intersectionality. Zines were retrieved from two archives: the ZAPP Zine Collection and POC Zine Project. Analysis of the zine dataset was conducted by a group of undergraduate public health students using participatory qualitative content analysis. We found that QTBIPOC used zines as a means to convey trusted health resources and information. QTBIPOC shared their perspectives and experiences on the multi-level and intersectional nature of racism, oppression, and strength through health topics such as mental health, violence, and structural and social determinants of health. QTBIPOC sought to dismantle, expand, and complicate standard notions about systems of power and intersectionality through their unique lived experiences. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using zines as a data source for health research and highlights the depth of insight that can be developed using the voices of the QTBIPOC community.