Dyke Love
Collage Zine, Arielle DeVito, 20 pgs, arielledevito.com, [email protected], $4
Arielle DeVito is in love, like, for real. If everybody had someone they loved this much, the world would be a better place. The inaugural issue of Dyke Love is a wonderful patchwork of all the feelings she experiences while adapting to her sexuality and falling in love with another woman.
This zine features various experiences in the life of a dyke, featuring different first person accounts on every page. First, a poem about “what it is like to fall in love with a woman.” This page features little handwritten notes accompanying handwriting text, as do most others. The non-linear logic creates the feeling of climbing around inside the author’s mind. Other entries include such gems as “songs for being gay and loud to” and “songs for when a girl is on your mind.” DeVito says the zine was originally created as a gift for her girlfriend on their 1000 day anniversary (the cuteness is overwhelming), so it also includes various photos of her beloved.
The aim of this zine is to celebrate lesbian love, and empower members of the LGBTQ community to to share their stories. It succeeds, and has the added effect of making me yearn for the feeling of such a deep mutual bond. “I can’t believe that a person exists in the world that I will never get tired of being around,” she writes — oof, you got me. I’ll just be over here pining.
Dyke Love is a handy read for those questioning their sexuality, gender, or participation in the LGBTQ community. It is a heartwarming reminder that expressing queer love is valid and pure, even when it seems complicated.
