In the service of being transparent, we are publicly stating that we recognize that three of the sections of the STAR zine were taken from Reina Gossett’s blog. Everything else was reprinted from books. We will add a link to Reina’s blog in any copies of this zine we print. No one involved in this project has been involved in academia, and we all do copious amounts of uncredited archiving work ourselves, and assumed that the practice of anonymity for such work was normal practice. We apologize to Reina for our incorrect and uninformed citation practices.
We would also like to address accusations thrown at us due to this situation. We have been labelled as cisgender, male, middle-class, white, able, academics, profiteers, police, and a wide array of other incorrect things. Incorrect citation practices are not grounds to erase the identities of people involved in projects. Those on the periphery of this debate have mobilized it for their personal and political grudges, and in the process called poor people “middle-class,” called neurodivergant people “ableist,” called trans women “transphobic” and “men,” called drop-outs “academics,” and called a project that has involved people of color “white” and “racist.” Regardless of Untorelli’s incorrect citation practices, this is unacceptable.
Of particular frustration is the accusations of us being police and of profiting from this publication. The accusations of being police or federal agents is SNITCHJACKETING, plain and simple. Those who immediately respond to conflicts by calling those they take issue with police are aiding in a time-honored counter-insurgency method. While we disagree with many who have argued against us, we would never insist that they are police.
To be transparent about this project: it is the work of (at different times) one or two people who are unemployed or precariously employed. Despite that, we put our own personal money into any printing and copying costs. If we distribute these zines, it is always for free or by donation, with 100% of the money going to supporting queer/trans prisoners, indigenous liberation prisoners, black liberation prisoners, anarchist prisoners, or various other political and non-political people behind bars. This is an autonomous project with no institutional or financial backing. This projects is also, for the most part, anonymous, and we do not gain personal social capital from designing and distributing these zines. We do this work to make available free publications and to raise money for our friends in jail. We are not profiteers.
We are sorry for not including a link to Reina’s website. Regardless of our differences in politics or practices of anonymity of research, we do not wish to erase people’s work. We will add acknowledgment of Reina’s archiving in any zines we print and distribute.
We ask that those emailing and messaging us making false assumptions and accusations about our identities or the nature of this project, misgendering us by calling us men, and asserting that we are police or federal agents cease this activity.
- Untorelli Press
