By Aylin Aarhus
Hornbake Library opened its Letterpress Studio up to students on Thursday to make visual art in celebration of LGBTQ History Month.
At the event, “Queer Histories for Queer Futures,” staff from the University Archives invited participants to make prints on the studio’s century-old printing presses. The pages read “PRINT QUEER!” in large, rainbow letters.
Attendees also made collages and zines using archival materials, including old yearbooks and publications from LGBTQ student groups.
A zine, or fanzine, is a short, homemade booklet. Some zines are how-to guides, while others feature art, poetry and short stories.
Zines emerged in the 1930s among sci-fi fans as an alternative to commercial science fiction magazines, and were popularized in punk rock spaces in the 1970s.
Ben Jackson is the manager of Special Collections in Performing Arts, a university archive dedicated to music, theater and dance.
“[Zine-making] really grew and developed over many decades into its own art form in and of itself,” Jackson said. “But it really starts from the place of feeling passionate about something, even if it’s just expressing yourself and having your own voice.”
Amber Kohl, curator of Hornbake’s Literature and Rare Books collections, said it’s important that people get a chance to try art forms like collage and zine-making.
“There isn’t really a right or wrong way to do this,” Kohl said. “It’s all about being in this space with other people, and experimenting [with] and exploring new art.”
Natalie Trapuzzano, the University Archivist at UMD, organized the Queer Futures event.
“There’s just such an important tradition of zine and collage and printmaking and queer culture,” Trapuzzano said. “They’re just so important and unique in telling counter-narratives.”
Trapuzzano said archiving queer zines allows LGBTQ people “to see themselves in the historical record,” and to know “that their queer ancestors have always been there and have always been telling their stories.”
The event was part of the university’s celebration of LGBTQ History Month, whose theme this year was “Dreaming Together for Queer Futures.”
The idea for a month celebrating queer history originated with Rodney Wilson, a gay high school history teacher from Missouri.
“Archives are best when lots of people feel connected to them,” Jackson said. “What means a lot to me is finding ways to directly reach out and connect people with elements of history where they can hopefully see themselves.”
Featured Image: Attendees of the Queer Histories for Queer Futures event make collages using magazines and materials from the University Archives on Oct. 30, 2025. Photo by Christian Lee.