GAYLETTER

lstw, or “Lez Spread the Word,” a Montréal-based initiative of about 20 queer women, began printing their magazine in the fall of 2016. Committed to fighting queer visibility, they began as a website exploring Canada’s various lesbian communities and have since launched a film series, a bi-monthly party and are onto their third print issue (Issue #3) with Lena Waithe donning the cover. (Past cover-women include the Canadian pop-rock queer-twins Tegan & Sara and the former Gaultier muse and DJ/model Ève Savail).

Creating a magazine is no easy feat. In digitized culture, the print medium has lost market value and readership across international borders. Yet the necessity for the medium remains. Not every corner of our world has access to the internet, you know. And there is no better way to spread culture, especially queer culture, than passing along finite, printed matter.

To help celebrate the launch of Issue #3, we sent Florence Gagnon – founder and publisher of lstw – a few questions to learn more about the publication’s creative process, the initiatives’ goals and what doing print means in 2018.

How did you come up with the name of the magazine? In 2012, when I was first contemplating launching a website, I knew I wanted to bring lesbians together and I knew I wanted to increase our visibility. My goal was to create the resource that had been missing when my friends and I were first coming out. “Spreading the word” was the departure point and “Lez Spread the Word” the obvious next step.

Its acronym, LSTW, has come to mean a lot of things. Our Montréal-based initiatives include: the bimonthly party Où sont les femmes?, #12 —a beer co-created with the craft brewery Brasserie Harricana, and the play Coco. In the fall of 2016, we published the first issue of lstw, our bilingual print magazine committed to fighting queer invisibility.

How did the magazine get started? At first, the idea was to publish a “best of” collection gleaned from the website. But we soon wanted to push the idea further; I have a background in fine arts and am really into anything related to photography and layouts. The print medium just made sense, editorially and artistically.

Tell us why it’s important for your publication to be in print in 2018? Our magazine reflects the time in which it was created and is an incarnation of our team’s passions and preoccupations. We wanted something tangible that lasts — an archive, a collectible. It’s important to leave a mark and a trace.

How do you find your content? In a bunch of different ways. We generate ideas in-house; we lean on our immediate and extended networks; we do a call-out for submissions once a year through social media; and we’re constantly on the lookout for new illustrators, photographers and collaborators online (Instagram has been a great source for talent).

Could you describe lstw to a new reader in 3 to 5 words? Bilingual archive of lesbian culture.

What type of person is the lstw subject? Our magazine is the result of efforts by more than 20 queer women keen to bring about positive change. We don’t uniquely focus on upbeat topics, but the ideal lstw subject remains curious, courageous and determined to move the needle. She’s a community builder.

What’s your mission? Working from a desire to broaden access to LGBTQ+ communities, lstw honors role models, promotes diversity and shines a spotlight on lesbian culture in a new way.

What do we need to know about this issue? Lena Waithe graces our flip covers and is the subject of an in-depth profile. Other highlights include an investigation into conversion therapy in Canada today, a conversation between Muslim writers of color Fariha Róisín and Samra Habib, a photo essay about Mexico City Pride and a look at how virtual reality is queering the porn industry.

How does Lena Waithe represent lstw? She’s positive, strong, focused and a team player. She’s committed to long-term systemic change through creative solutions and collaboration. She also thinks that “being LGBTQ+ is a superpower”— and so do we!
Chloe

Jasmine

Lou

Stacey

Photography: Darby Routtenberg
Beauty Direction: Laurie Deraps
Styling: Mélodie Wronski

Get lstw issue 3 here.