Photo courtesy of Zine for Queer Pros
Zine for Queer Professionals
ZFQP vending their zines at a community event
This Is A Zine For Queer Professionals, or Zine For Queer Pros (ZFQP) for short, is for queer folks, by queer folks, to showcase work they do and art they make. Since 2023, the zine has spotlighted and interviewed artists and professionals about both their livelihoods but how they navigate spaces as LGBTQ+ people. ZFQP is co-run by Liz Koetting, Sai Kilp and Nathan Barachy.
In this context, the word “professional” simply means what someone does for a living or loves to do as a creative outlet. “The stories we get are more interesting when the definition of that word is broad,” Koetting explains. “We get a lot of artists and makers, and all of these people are running their own small business, even if they’re vending at a market once or twice a year.”
Photo courtesy of Zine for Queer Pros
Zine for Queer Pros Founders
The ZFQP co-founders from left to right: Liz Koetting, Sai Kilp and Nathan Barachy
The zine’s three founders met through working in real estate. Barachy first brought the idea to Kilp, and Koetting subsequently approached the two, interested in joining. With help from print media space The Bindery and creative studio Bearbear, ZFQP debuted their first issue in March 2023, accompanied by a release party at Lion’s Tooth in Bay View, where each issue release party has been thrown since.
“We had like 60 or 70 people show up at the first one, it was insane,” Kilp recalls. “People just mingled and were in long conversations. It was so validating that it was something that people were looking for and needed. We get new people every single time.”
“It was a lot different than what we do now,” Barachy adds. “It was more of an intro to who the three of us were, to get to know us as a team.”
Sharing Information
Koetting takes care of the zine’s administrative work, Kilp handles social media, and Barachy is their artist. The standard way one submits to ZFQP is via a Q&A, which each issue features several of. Folks then share information about themselves and their work as well as dive into how their professional and queer identities intersect.
“We encourage people to be honest about the good and the bad with their queer experiences, and how it affects their jobs,” Barachy says.
Professionals featured in past ZFQP issues have included a first responder, a construction worker, a therapist, a doula, and a person in finance. “It has really blown my mind to see the people we’ve had from totally different industries,” Barachy affirms. “They all have this thing in common that they’re all queer, and it’s really special.”
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Koetting notes, “It’s interesting the take each one has about why having queer representation in that field is important. They’re simple questions but we get lovely answers.”
Issues additionally feature several art submissions as well as a “queer toolbox” with life tips and skill-sharing tailored to LGBTQ folks. They also include information about local mutual aid resources, and portions of proceeds from sold zines benefit such efforts as Sun-Seeker MKE, Black and Pink Milwaukee and Butterfly Collective MKE.
Ninth Issue
ZFQP just released their ninth issue in March, which is available for purchase at Lion’s Tooth. Folks may also order issues directly from ZFQP on Instagram, or they may browse past issues on Queer Zine Archive Project.
“We’re always looking for submissions,” Koetting mentions. “We want as many different voices and perspectives as we can get.”
Professionals and artists interested in submitting can do so with the form on the zine’s Linktree. One does not have to be from Milwaukee or Wisconsin to submit.
This Is A Zine For Queer Professionals can be found vending at community events throughout the year, selling their past and present issues. They will be at the 414 Day Vendor Market this Sunday, April 13 at Cactus Club from noon to 4 p.m., then at Milwaukee Zine Fest next week on Saturday, April 19 at Milwaukee Central Library from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Kilp concludes, “We want to sell more zines on a regular basis so that we can donate more portions.”
