The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) has unveiled a new tradition for their club, a once-a-year student-produced zine. Honoring Transgender Awareness Week, this year’s issue will feature original student poetry, short stories and art pieces illustrating the experience of being a transgender teen.

“Zines have been an integral part of queer culture since the mid-70s,” said junior Marley DeReinzo, the president of the GSA. “I thought it would be really good to be involved in a project that revolves around the trans experience.”

The zine has been in planning and production for months, with the GSA dedicating their weekly meetings to working on the zine. The GSA plans to print, publish and distribute the zine throughout the school following winter break.

“We’ll be putting copies [of the zine] in classrooms and posting about it on social media,” said junior Gavin Grant, the vice president of the GSA.

Although Transgender Awareness Week occurred in November, the club believes it’s important to continue bringing light to transgender individuals and their stories across the world.

“I want people to see transgender people as human beings, not something confusing that some people might not understand,” DeReinzo said. “I want people to realize that we are just normal people trying to live; we are not trying to invade your way of life. We are just existing.”