The LGBTQ+ community in Gainesville now has a platform to share their artistic talents.
Spill Magazine, a queer literary magazine, celebrated its first publication in the Reitz Union on Thursday. Nicole Wiesenthal, the editor-in-chief of Spill Magazine, said the staff of nine began creating it last Fall.
The magazine held a launch party to celebrate the staff and people who submitted artwork, illustrations or written pieces. They received about 30 submissions from UF students, Gainesville residents and people who wanted to stay anonymous.
A previous queer arts magazine, Subtext, tried to launch but failed due to a lack of funding, Wiesenthal said.
Spill Magazine, which is independent from UF, struggled to find the funding to launch the magazine.
“No one knows you exist, and you have no help whatsoever, except other students. But we hung in there,” the 21-year-old UF journalism junior said.
Rachel “Pepper” Pimienta, 23, submitted a piece that discussed the intersection between religion and being queer.
“I’ve always been really attracted to questioning organized religion,” the UF English senior said, before reading an excerpt from her story, titled “Your Friendly Neighborhood Gaytheist.”
Wiesenthal said submissions are available online, and physical copies of the magazine can be bought on the website for $15 each to raise funds to publish.
“We just really wanted something that would allow people to have a voice and to feel like they’re being heard,” she said. “Which is not something everyone receives, especially in the queer community.”
@MelissaGomez004
mgomez@alligator.org
