Consent, Sexual and Domestic Assault, Survivor Support Q-Z

Rape, Consent and Patriarchy: (@nticopyright, 2005) This zine is a letter from a perpetrator to an ex-partner trying to reconcile with his actions. $1

The Revolution Starts at Home–Confronting Partner Abuse in Activist Communities: Edited and written by a diverse group of womyn and queers, this zine is the predecessor of the book of the same name.  The essays are thorough and walk us through what accountability looks like in a variety of scenarios.  The queer and gender analysis in this collection is spot on. $4

Say the Word–Conversations About Consent: Wonky airbrushed picture of causasian hetero couple on the front of this zine is a real turn off, but the zine raises some good questions through an exploration of theory and personal stories. Pretty intense personal accounts of sexual abuse, trigger warning. $2

See No, Speak No, Hear No: Articles and Questions about Sexual Assault: Compilation can be found on Doris Press.  Long narrative from someone who violated someone’s boundaries, a long list of good questions to answer in gauging consent and your own patterns of behavior. $3

Supporting a Survivor of Sexual Assault: Clearly outlined nine principles of survivor support.  Practical advice for staying strong for someone else in terms of concrete suggestions and setting boundaries. $2

Support (2002)-Cindy Crabb and friends put together this zine about supporting people who have been sexually abused, especially for friends and allies as a key to understanding survivor struggles, and good for survivors and their allies in identifying needs and boundaries.  This zine is amazing and also triggering, so read it with support or with a friend.  Available on Doris Press.

Taking Risks–Implementing Grassroots Community Accountability Strategies: Written by a collective of women of color from Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), excerpted from Color of Violence, South End Press.  A few community scenarios walk the reader through accountability with a focus on community self-determination. $4

Ten Suggestions for People Called Out for Abusive Behavior: (Originally published in Clamor Magazine by Wispy Cockles) Fundamental text for those working with community accountability, this is a must read for anyone who’s asked to examine how their behavior might have hurt or violated another. A must have zine. $1

Think About It: Verbal Consent and Addressing Sexual Assault: Short but sweet zine from Warren Wilson college.  The zine consists of a series of comics outlining scenarios that are informative, entertaining and meaningful. $1

Thoughts about Community Support around Intimate Violence: This is one of the best zines about setting up an accountability process that I’ve ever seen.  It outlines a clear framework and structure for community accountability that takes in the needs of all involved, is gender inclusive and queer centric, and outlines the complexities of relationship dynamics so that we all look beyond the perpetrator/survivor dichotomy.  Pretty punk rock in aesthetic with some bad margins, but that is this zine’s only flaw. You can actually just download this one from Philly’s Pissed. $3

What Do We Do When–A Zine About Community Responses to Sexual Assault #2: Articles and essays about socialization and patriarchy, with several people’s experience of dealing with perpetrators in their community. Great essays, bad, bad margins.$2

What’s Love: Emotional Abuse in Intimate Relationships–(@nti-copyright, 2007) Good introduction to definitions of emotional abuse and how to recognize signs and symptoms of emotionally abusive relationships.  Written with kindness and compassion. One of the only zines out there with a specific focus on emotional abuse. $1

A Woman With a Sword: Some thoughts on Women, Feminism, and Violence: Amazing essay by D.A. Clarke about the way female violence has been perceived by the culture and a frank appraisal about questions surrounding justifiable violence as a response to abuse. It’s a fantastic zine, but there is one anti-BDSM critique that some might find offensive. Still incredible and worth reading. $2