Introduction

Welcome from the UWB Zine Fiends! This is the 4th volume of the Badass Womxn and Enbies in the PNW. These zines are a collective effort from students researching different influential badass womxn. In the past, the previous zines paved the way for our success, serving as a foundation for ours. The creation of the zine has grown into a tradition for students from different backgrounds and fields of study to come together to highlight the work and efforts done by womxn and enbies, and how their work has impacted life here in the Pacific Northwest.

What makes this zine assignment unique is the fact that students are given the freedom to do their own independent research and choose their own badass womxn/enbies from the PNW. With students coming from different majors, this led to a wide variety of chosen individuals across different fields. This also meant for an array of engagement, with students’ efforts varying based on their familiarity with research and passion. Many students found a badass they could relate to or admire, while others aimed to find a badass who could fulfill the requirement. Overall, the 4th edition reflects a meaningful and diverse range of contributions.

Notably, many students chose to center Indigenous and Native American womxn and enbies, which speaks to the efforts and importance behind refusing to tell the story from a colonizer-centric perspective. In recognizing their true stories and legacies, we aimed to uplift their voices in ways that honor their history, land, and community rather than viewing their work and contributions to the world through settler frameworks.

The motivating factor behind this work is understanding the importance of highlighting the work and efforts of these badass womxn and enbies who are often from underrepresented communities. History books and mainstream media rarely give them the recognition they deserve, which is why we created this zine. In our class, we focus on learning about radical womxn and enbies that are ethnically diverse, who have tremendously contributed to women’s rights from different areas in the Global South. For this zine, we have extended that same lens of resistance and celebration for women and enbies in the Pacific Northwest.