DIY zines are helping queer communities tell their own stories and craft their own culture

A volunteer at the Papercut Zine Library in Cambridge, Mass., which has roughly 16,000 zines in its collection. Michele McDonald/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

At Pride festivals held across the U.S. and beyond, among the tables offering voter registration forms or condoms, you’ll likely run into some queer zinemakers.

Zines are DIY publications circulated by their creators. They originated in science fiction fan communities in the 1930s, when enthusiasts self-published stories and critiques.