On Being a Fucking Slut tackles rape and sexuality brilliantly

On Being a Fucking Slut

Zine, Anonymous, 36 pgs, lookmumzinedistro.blogspot.com

I picked up this beauty at the Hamilton Zineposium, where it was being distrod by the fabulous Look Mum! Distro. The zine is impossible to miss, not only for its provocative title (and subtitle: A Femme Perspective on Surviving Rape & Getting Laid) and sensual cover image of an ass having its panties pulled down. The lettering and image are also done in a shiny copper foil that shines at the reader or browsing zine fair customer defiantly and glamorously.

There are so many important and wonderful perzines and resource zines out there about sexual assault, consent, survivor narratives and tips, and sex positivity. Each one of these is unique and useful in its own way, and I salute the brave writers who share these stories with the world to empower themselves and others. That said, I’ve personally read so many of them that I sometimes get desensitized to the powerful charge and intense vulnerability of the genre. This zine shook me out of that.

The anonymous author writes unsparingly about her experiences of rape, domestic violence, and abusive relationships, detailing the unique dynamics of different situations. I found the author’s ability to honestly discuss how she felt at the time of different incidents — confused, culpable, trapped — and tell the story of how she came to identify abusive situations after the fact. Most importantly, she walks us through how her ongoing healing and learning through real friendships and community and reconnecting with her Indigeneity has helped her embrace her own sluttiness, non-monogamy, and confidence as a sexual being in the world. It’s a complex, but ultimately hopeful narrative that resonated with me as someone who has experienced sexual assault and negotiated non-monogamy and promiscuity through that lens.

This is an excellent zine, building on the work of other brave perzinesters like Clementine Morrigan (who is prominently thanked) and others.