Dyke 4 dyke

In conversation with:

In an increasingly polarized socio-political climate, with a government that seems set on making any possible U-turn they can with regard to the progression of queer rights and liberty in some sort of misconstrued appeasement of the growingly hostile right, the rapid success of Manchester zine ‘Dyke for Dyke’ speaks volumes about the unity and creative brilliance of these communities in spite of this. Having already sold out their first two issues, and being on course for a hattrick with third installment coming soon, I interviewed the two wonderful minds behind the project, partners Polly and Izzy.

1) Introduce yourselves, (how old are you, where are you from, how did you meet eachother etc)

I’m Polly, I’m 20 and from South London, now studying History in Manchester.

I’m Izzy, also 20 and from East Sussex - I’m a photographer and artist.

We met through a mutual friend last summer on a blind date and have been together ever since!

2) What were the motivations behind starting Dyke for Dyke?

In January earlier this year, Izzy suggested we watch the photographer and activist Nan Goldin’s documentary ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed’. It documents her artistic journey and her political activism. She tackles a range of issues, from the AIDs crisis to the role of the Sackler family in America’s opioid epidemic. It’s an astounding film, well worth a watch, and what really stuck with me is that Goldin started out with just a camera and no agenda. Yet she managed to enact systemic change and produce some of the most powerful photography of the last century. Essentially it reminded me that despite living in a world where the power of individual action is down played, everyone can contribute - whether creatively, politically or both.

We really had no idea what we wanted to achieve with Dyke4Dyke, just that we wanted to platform and connect lesbians in any way we could. So we put up some call to action fliers, 'Lesbians we need you!’ and then went from there. The response was incredible and really indicated to us the immense lack of media and culture for lesbians.

3) In terms of artists and creatives, having already collaborated with such a broad and diverse range through your zine, who do you guys draw inspiration from or look up to in particular?

In our upcoming edition, we have an interview with photographer Chloe Sherman, whose portraiture series ‘Renegades’ depicts the queer youth subculture in 1990s San Francisco. The vibrant community captured in her work has since been a major influence on the zine, in the way we aim to connect and celebrate lesbian culture and history. In a more literal sense, I’ve drawn inspiration from so many zines that came before! Some notable influences would include Lisa Carver’s ‘Rollerderby’ zine (published throughout the 1990s as well) for its explicit, grandiose, and unapologetic behaviours and artwork. Similarly, the charged and provocative early issues of independent Irish publication, Rotten Magazine have continually influenced aspects of Dyke4Dyke, especially in our upcoming issue three!

4) Having already seen so much success early doors, what are your aspirations for the zine going forward?

Ultimately I think our main aims are to reach as many lesbians as possible, and further engage with the incredible queer scene we have discovered through the zine. I think it is so important that we continue to build and contribute to the queer grassroots projects that are truly uplifting and supportive. As the modern world becomes increasingly divisive, the spirit of connection and support is in danger of being diluted and lost - our goal is to keep it afloat in any way that we can.

Who knows where it could lead, for now we are just happy to be selling enough to keep producing issues and connecting with more and more queer artists and creatives. This also allows us room to experiment with our content and layout which means we can produce better and better issues each time.

5) How important do you think independent media is for free creative expression in the current socio-political climate?

It is so crucial. I really encourage people to engage with independent media through any means, whether buying copies, supporting on social media or creating your own avenues of independent media. In a climate dominated by attention seeking and fear inducing headlines, independent media is an essential tool for platforming those without a voice, spotlighting neglected issues and holding on to true creativity.