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When the idea of creating PRUDE first crossed my mind a few months ago after my oversharing friends and I had just concluded a rather lengthy gossip about our sex lives, I hardly thought I’d be here with you all today, writing my first Editor’s Letter. Yet here we are.
Six months later, PRUDE is a fully operational digital zine, with (might I add) a flourishing social media community and a growing online presence. Like I hoped, we have become a hive for inclusive and diverse conversations on sex, relationships and bodies – a space that so many of the us wished we’d had when we were growing up.
But creating a publication in today’s world is whole new ball game. Sure, we can look back to Cosmo, Teen and Bliss Magazines for inspo, but the reality of Gen Z consumer culture today is a very different landscape. Young people are more likely to get their current affairs from a 60-second TikTok before BBC News even gets the chance to startle people with their iconic ‘Breaking News’ phone alert.
I had to ask myself, what would make me turn to PRUDE when there are so many media outlets out there? But the truth is, there isn’t a publication that wholeheartedly relates to Gen Z culture and concerns. Our generation want to learn. They want to engage in stories that not only matter and affect them but represent them. This is why PRUDE is so necessary.
And what better way to celebrate this value than on Transgender Day of Visibility.
In today’s political climate, the headlines are rarely positive. From Florida’s passing of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill to LGBTQIA+ Ukrainian refugees struggling to seek asylum in some receiving countries, it’s hard to remain hopeful for change. Not to mention Boris Johnson’s regressive remark in parliament this month saying that facts of biology when distinguishing between men and women are “overwhelmingly important”. Sometimes, it can feel like the movement towards gender equality is going backwards. And as much as it is necessary to shed light on these horrific human rights infringements, we cannot let the victories and stories of the queer community go unrecognised.
So on this Day of Trans Visibility, PRUDE are celebrating trans voices. From a chat with playwright and now novelist Lauren John Joseph; sitting down with the lovely Sophia Cathcart as she talks through her time as a student athlete; a run-down of some of our favourite transgender influencers, to advice from our very own Prudence, we want to shine light on the vibrant and thriving trans community.
And while we can use today to reflect on issues affecting trans people as well as championing their stories, these conversations must not end at midnight. Here at PRUDE, we are committed to representing queer voices all year round – because they deserve nothing less.
Welcome. I dedicate my first letter to the transgender community, whom we love and stand with. Now, let’s get talking.
Read our first piece for Transgender Day of Visibility here: Talk to Prudence – how to keep sex casual as a trans man?
