Zine launch and queer performances at EDGE NJ

Non-profit EDGE NJ hosted a zine launch party at its Parsippany headquarters to raise funds and celebrate the work of local queer artists on Monday, June 2. As an organization set on “Responding compassionately and responsibly to the HIV+ and LGBTQ communities,” the sale of the inaugural publication will go towards advancing EDGE NJ’s progressive mission.

The alt publication is set to promote visibility and harness the power of creativity to break down stigma. Guests on June 2 had a fun-filled night of art, singing, drag, and other queer-centered performances.

Attendees received the first edition of The HIVe: A zine celebrating creativity in the LGBTQ and HIV+ communities. A zine is an alternative type of magazine that promotes anything from art and poetry to personal stories. They come in a variety of formats, embracing all kinds of niche themes. 

Sierra Winters, Director of Operations at EDGE New Jersey, remarked, “Our agency strongly supports creativity, as seen in our affirming library and art gallery. We believe art is a pathway to healing for marginalized people, and The HIVe elevates voices that deserve to be heard.”

“The HIVe: an EDGE NJ Zine will be a collective of art and literature that encapsulates the several ways we move through the world as LGBTQ+ and/or HIV+ individuals,” Winters said.

Featured poet Phoenix Bochatin expressed the importance of creative writing. “To make is to be human… and in current times, defiance is power. So with this zine, we are making and empowering defiance.”

EDGE New Jersey called for open submissions in April, allowing all New Jersey residents to submit their personal work for consideration. There are plans for future editions of the zine after this inaugural release. 

Copies of the zine will be made available at future Pride events this June for $8. Proceeds will support EDGE’s vital services, such as HIV prevention and testing, harm reduction, medical care coordination, housing, and community education.

EDGE New Jersey has served the community since 1994, “empowering those we serve to achieve a healthy, safe and self-sufficient life, therefore gaining the resources to positively influence their community” through a variety of health-related services. 

edgenj.org