Been Here. Been Queer.
Donation protected
Darci McFarland of Post Traumatically Stressed Feminist and Bible Belt Queers is excited to announce the launch of a new book project: Been Here. Been Queer. Millennial and Gen Z Changemakers in the Margins.
This beautifully illustrated coffee table book will feature 50+ marginalized LGBTQIA+ Millennial and Gen Z activists and changemakers in the United States. This could include queer folx who are living in rural America, queer folx whose identity may be marginalized within queer communities, and/or folx who experience multiple marginalizations. We are celebrating the revolutionary, grassroots community work these young LGBTQIA+ people are doing, which begins with the fundamental act of being themselves. Being visibly queer, in many spaces, is still activist work.
Our queer histories are often erased, and by uplifting these voices, we challenge monolithic narratives and embrace our diverse and equally important stories.
WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT THIS PROJECT:
We are lifting up stories of marginalized queer changemakers. Some you will identify with. Others will present you with new perspectives. All will celebrate those rarely included in mainstream queer representation.
1. We Believe In The Power Of Community.
This is so much more than just a book. We want to celebrate queer community every step of the way, so we are creating a space where everyone will be celebrated for the work they’re doing in the form of a virtual Archive. Every single submission, which will include 7-10 questions and answers and at least one photograph, will be posted to form a directors of marginalized queers across America. Each submission will also have embedded links, which will direct folx to any social media/relevant websites. The submissions will be categorized by searchable tags, allowing other queer folx to navigate the archive. We also aim to reach out to and include marginalized queer folx through our Facebook Page , which will help support other queer projects, build collaborative connections, offer an opportunity for folx to exchange their resources and knowledge and celebrate the work we are all doing for queer activism.
2. We Believe In Valuing And Compensating Creators For Their Time and Skills
Every component of this project has been designed so that there are equitable exchanges of labor, knowledge and funds.
3. We Believe In Celebrating Queer People.
We have always been here. WE have always been queer -- and we want to give you the affirming goods to declare this truth. Additionally, folx who are selected to be in the book will have their photograph illustrated in full color for the publication, and will also receive a free 8.5x11" print of their illustration. A portrait of a marginalized queer person is more than a physical record. It is a representation of the fact that you are important; You are a part of something larger than yourself -- and you matter.
Queer Visualities & Aesthetics
♥ This will be a hardcover 8.5" square book
♥ 250 pages packed with original full color illustrations and notes from queer experiences across America
♥ We derive the aesthetics for this project from historical floral American design, with roots in vintage note cards, seed catalogues and other ephemera. We are reclaiming the comfort and sweetness of this visual language for our queer community.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
We are so grateful that you want to support queer visibility! We've created many different ways your can help this project - check them out below.
$15 Sticker
$35 Large Been Here Been Queer Print
$50 Virtual guest lecture, E-book
$100 Book, Large Been Here Been Queer Print, sticker
$150 Book, t-shirt, sticker
$250 Shoutout on social media, Book, shirt, a handwritten thank you note from the editor, sticker
$500 Shoutout on social media, included in the Acknowledgements page, early release book, a handwritten thank you note from the editor, mug, sticker
PRIZE NOTES: goodies will be sent as donations are made, books will be shipped separately.
FUNDING BREAKDOWN:
Contributor Rewards @ 50 contributors - $377.50
Go-Fund-Me Rewards - $930.14
Social Media Ads - $400
Content Creation - $1,000
Business Cards - $75
ISBN - $100
Copyright - $165
Community Coordinator - $500
100 Custom Illustrations - $1,000
Logo - $150
Cover Design - $150
E-book formatting - $500
Editing & Formatting Submissions - $1,000
Submission coordination and stewardship over 24 months - $500
InDesign Formatting 250 pages - $1,000
First Bulk Book Order - $1,618
TOTAL with Fundraising Fees -$12,556.86
If you have any questions or media requests, please contact [email redacted]
GET TO KNOW THE TEAM
True to our mission, our team of queer changemakers are located all across the United States, and bring their diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise to this project.
Taylor Mobley - Illustrator
(he/him)
Taylor Mobley is an African American illustrator and fledgling plant parent, working in Central Florida. He loves landscape storytelling, animation, and kid lit art! Taylor earned a BFA in Animation in Atlanta from the Savannah College of Art and Design after spending a year in Nashville studying at Fisk University. As a filmmaker, his short film “Run” was showcased at film festivals nationwide and abroad. He is a member of SCBWI and enjoys the new and diverse tales now showcased in children’s literature and new media
Darci McFarland - Editor
(she/her)
Darci is the creator and editor of Post-Traumatically Stressed Feminist and Bible Belt Queers. She has an MA in Women’s Studies from Texas Woman’s University and a BA in Sociology from Arkansas Tech University. Her research on the “Psychological Effects of Abortions and Attitudes Towards Reproductive Rights,” co-authored by colleague Chelsea Farrar, is published in the International Journal for Humanities and Social Science. She’s a queer, feminist activist and artist based in Memphis, Tennessee, who fundraises for Southern abortion centers by day and organizes art activist projects in her free time. You can learn more about her work here.
Dartricia Rollins - Advisory Board Member
(she/her)
Dartricia is the Assistant Director of Fundraising and Administration for Charis Circle the nonprofit programming arm of Charis Books and More, where she is also a bookseller. She is an art and book collector and spends quite a bit of her free time attending galleries, museums, and reading as many books as possible at the same time! She is a fierce advocate for reproductive justice and healthcare and mom to Daschund-Basset-Shepard mix Gambino.
Lachrista Greco - Advisory Board Member
(she/her)
Lachrista is a writer, speaker, librarian, and maker. She created Guerrilla Feminism and The Guerrilla Feminist in 2011. She has been interviewed by NPR, NBC, The Red Elephant Foundation, and others. Lachrista has her Master's Degree in Women's & Gender Studies and has written for Bitch Media, Ravishly, Rebellious Magazine For Women, Elephant Journal, Decolonizing Yoga, and more. She is a Soapbox Inc. speaker, and has spoken at colleges, universities, and nonprofits around the world about digital activism, digital consulting, online abuse, feminism, learning disabilities, domestic and sexual violence, Italianità, and more. Lachrista lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
This beautifully illustrated coffee table book will feature 50+ marginalized LGBTQIA+ Millennial and Gen Z activists and changemakers in the United States. This could include queer folx who are living in rural America, queer folx whose identity may be marginalized within queer communities, and/or folx who experience multiple marginalizations. We are celebrating the revolutionary, grassroots community work these young LGBTQIA+ people are doing, which begins with the fundamental act of being themselves. Being visibly queer, in many spaces, is still activist work.
Our queer histories are often erased, and by uplifting these voices, we challenge monolithic narratives and embrace our diverse and equally important stories.
WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT THIS PROJECT:
We are lifting up stories of marginalized queer changemakers. Some you will identify with. Others will present you with new perspectives. All will celebrate those rarely included in mainstream queer representation.
1. We Believe In The Power Of Community.
This is so much more than just a book. We want to celebrate queer community every step of the way, so we are creating a space where everyone will be celebrated for the work they’re doing in the form of a virtual Archive. Every single submission, which will include 7-10 questions and answers and at least one photograph, will be posted to form a directors of marginalized queers across America. Each submission will also have embedded links, which will direct folx to any social media/relevant websites. The submissions will be categorized by searchable tags, allowing other queer folx to navigate the archive. We also aim to reach out to and include marginalized queer folx through our Facebook Page , which will help support other queer projects, build collaborative connections, offer an opportunity for folx to exchange their resources and knowledge and celebrate the work we are all doing for queer activism.
2. We Believe In Valuing And Compensating Creators For Their Time and Skills
Every component of this project has been designed so that there are equitable exchanges of labor, knowledge and funds.
3. We Believe In Celebrating Queer People.
We have always been here. WE have always been queer -- and we want to give you the affirming goods to declare this truth. Additionally, folx who are selected to be in the book will have their photograph illustrated in full color for the publication, and will also receive a free 8.5x11" print of their illustration. A portrait of a marginalized queer person is more than a physical record. It is a representation of the fact that you are important; You are a part of something larger than yourself -- and you matter.
Queer Visualities & Aesthetics
♥ This will be a hardcover 8.5" square book
♥ 250 pages packed with original full color illustrations and notes from queer experiences across America
♥ We derive the aesthetics for this project from historical floral American design, with roots in vintage note cards, seed catalogues and other ephemera. We are reclaiming the comfort and sweetness of this visual language for our queer community.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
We are so grateful that you want to support queer visibility! We've created many different ways your can help this project - check them out below.
$15 Sticker
$35 Large Been Here Been Queer Print
$50 Virtual guest lecture, E-book
$100 Book, Large Been Here Been Queer Print, sticker
$150 Book, t-shirt, sticker
$250 Shoutout on social media, Book, shirt, a handwritten thank you note from the editor, sticker
$500 Shoutout on social media, included in the Acknowledgements page, early release book, a handwritten thank you note from the editor, mug, sticker
PRIZE NOTES: goodies will be sent as donations are made, books will be shipped separately.
FUNDING BREAKDOWN:
Contributor Rewards @ 50 contributors - $377.50
Go-Fund-Me Rewards - $930.14
Social Media Ads - $400
Content Creation - $1,000
Business Cards - $75
ISBN - $100
Copyright - $165
Community Coordinator - $500
100 Custom Illustrations - $1,000
Logo - $150
Cover Design - $150
E-book formatting - $500
Editing & Formatting Submissions - $1,000
Submission coordination and stewardship over 24 months - $500
InDesign Formatting 250 pages - $1,000
First Bulk Book Order - $1,618
TOTAL with Fundraising Fees -$12,556.86
If you have any questions or media requests, please contact [email redacted]
GET TO KNOW THE TEAM
True to our mission, our team of queer changemakers are located all across the United States, and bring their diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise to this project.
Taylor Mobley - Illustrator(he/him)
Taylor Mobley is an African American illustrator and fledgling plant parent, working in Central Florida. He loves landscape storytelling, animation, and kid lit art! Taylor earned a BFA in Animation in Atlanta from the Savannah College of Art and Design after spending a year in Nashville studying at Fisk University. As a filmmaker, his short film “Run” was showcased at film festivals nationwide and abroad. He is a member of SCBWI and enjoys the new and diverse tales now showcased in children’s literature and new media
Darci McFarland - Editor (she/her)
Darci is the creator and editor of Post-Traumatically Stressed Feminist and Bible Belt Queers. She has an MA in Women’s Studies from Texas Woman’s University and a BA in Sociology from Arkansas Tech University. Her research on the “Psychological Effects of Abortions and Attitudes Towards Reproductive Rights,” co-authored by colleague Chelsea Farrar, is published in the International Journal for Humanities and Social Science. She’s a queer, feminist activist and artist based in Memphis, Tennessee, who fundraises for Southern abortion centers by day and organizes art activist projects in her free time. You can learn more about her work here.
Dartricia Rollins - Advisory Board Member (she/her)
Dartricia is the Assistant Director of Fundraising and Administration for Charis Circle the nonprofit programming arm of Charis Books and More, where she is also a bookseller. She is an art and book collector and spends quite a bit of her free time attending galleries, museums, and reading as many books as possible at the same time! She is a fierce advocate for reproductive justice and healthcare and mom to Daschund-Basset-Shepard mix Gambino.
Lachrista Greco - Advisory Board Member (she/her)
Lachrista is a writer, speaker, librarian, and maker. She created Guerrilla Feminism and The Guerrilla Feminist in 2011. She has been interviewed by NPR, NBC, The Red Elephant Foundation, and others. Lachrista has her Master's Degree in Women's & Gender Studies and has written for Bitch Media, Ravishly, Rebellious Magazine For Women, Elephant Journal, Decolonizing Yoga, and more. She is a Soapbox Inc. speaker, and has spoken at colleges, universities, and nonprofits around the world about digital activism, digital consulting, online abuse, feminism, learning disabilities, domestic and sexual violence, Italianità, and more. Lachrista lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Organizer
Darci McFarland
Organizer
Memphis, TN
