Founded in 2009, Against Equality (AE) is an online archive of writings and arts, and a series of books, by
queer and
trans
Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of".
Used alone, trans may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
* ''Trans'' (fil ...
writers that critique mainstream LGBT politics. AE has focused on issues regarding the institution of
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
, the
U.S. military, and the
prison-industrial complex via
hate crime law
A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
.
Structure
Against Equality is an anti-capitalist collective of radical queer and trans writers, thinkers, and artists. AE maintains an online
archive
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located.
Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual ...
of written work and cultural references. AE has also self-published three
anthologies
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...
that highlight work from the three sections of their online archive. These three anthologies were combined into a single book and was published by
AK Press
AK Press is a worker-managed, independent publisher and book distributor that specialises in radical left and anarchist literature. Operated out of Chico, California, the company is collectively owned.
History
AK was founded in Stirling, S ...
in April 2014.
Publications
AE published its first book in the fall of 2010. ''Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage'' contains essays and op-ed pieces by prominent
queer thinkers, including
Kate Bornstein, Eric A. Stanley,
Dean Spade
Dean Spade (born 1977) is an American lawyer, writer, trans activist, and associate professor of law at Seattle University School of Law. In 2002, he founded the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a non-profit law collective in New York City that provide ...
, Craig Willse,
Kenyon Farrow
Kenyon Farrow (born November 13, 1974) is an American writer, activist, director, and educator focused on progressive racial and economic justice issues related to the LGBTQ community. He served as the executive director of Queers for Economic ...
, Kate Raphael, Deeg,
John D'Emilio, Ryan Conrad,
Yasmin Nair, MJ Kaufman, Katie Miles, and
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore is an American author and activist. She is the author of two memoirs and three novels, and the editor of six nonfiction anthologies.
Early life and education
Sycamore was born in Washington, D.C. to a Jewish family a ...
. ''Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage'' ranked sixth on AK Press Distribution's Top 10 of 2010 list.
A.E published the second book, ''Against Equality: Don’t Ask to Fight Their Wars'', in the fall of 2011 and contains a collection of essays and illustrations critiquing the mainstream gay and lesbian politics and its uncritical approach to
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on Decembe ...
. Contributors include
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore is an American author and activist. She is the author of two memoirs and three novels, and the editor of six nonfiction anthologies.
Early life and education
Sycamore was born in Washington, D.C. to a Jewish family a ...
, Kenyon Farrow, Cecilia Cissell Lucas, Yasmin Nair, Erica Meiners, Therese Quinn, Tamara K. Nopper, Larry Goldsmith, Jamal Rashad Jones,
Bill Andriette
Bill Andriette is an American journalist and pro-pedophile activist.
Biography
Andriette was the Art-Director for the LGBT periodical ''Baltimore Outloud'', and was previously the Features Editor of ''The Guide'', a gay travel and entertainment ...
, and illustrator Mr. Fish.
AE published the third and final book in its
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wo ...
, ''Against Equality: Prisons Will Not Protect You'', in the fall of 2012. This book focuses on
hate crime law
A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
and the
prison industrial complex. Contributors include
Dean Spade
Dean Spade (born 1977) is an American lawyer, writer, trans activist, and associate professor of law at Seattle University School of Law. In 2002, he founded the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a non-profit law collective in New York City that provide ...
, Jason Lydon, the
Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Liliana Segura, Jack Aponte, Yasmin Nair, Imani Keith Henry, Sébastien Barraud, Erica Meiners, Liam Michaud, Josh Pavan, and Bridget Simpson.
AK Press
AK Press is a worker-managed, independent publisher and book distributor that specialises in radical left and anarchist literature. Operated out of Chico, California, the company is collectively owned.
History
AK was founded in Stirling, S ...
released a three-in-one anthology titled ''Against Equality: Queer Revolution, Not Mere Inclusion'' in March 2014 that combines the collective's previous three anthologies and includes a new introduction from the collective.
Events
Members of the Against Equality collective have also traveled extensively to speak at bookstores, community spaces, colleges, and universities across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
See also
References
External links
Against Equality Archive— official website
— Against Equality at AK Press
{{LGBT
Anti-capitalism
LGBT criticism of marriage
LGBT political advocacy groups in the United States
Prison abolition movement
Queer organizations
2009 establishments in the United States