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Plumbing








Talking about magazines, yesterday I remembered Original Plumbing, a magazine one of my friends used to collect. It's been about ten years of that and I was wondering if he still has them. We used to pore over them and basically decide which of the guys were hot. Yep. We were terribly vacuous but also thought it was great that trans masculine people had a magazine dedicated all to themselves. Those magazines are kind of collector's items at this point. Original Plumbing is not being published anymore. There had been few, if any magazines oriented towards the T in LGBTQ. Specially FTM transpeople. It was a quarterly founded by Amos Mac and Rocco Kayiatos and I think it created a space that now is sorely missing in the LGBTQ publication queersphere.




AMOSMAC
ROCCOKAYIATOS

You see, over ten years ago, there was no Instagram, Facebook was nothing but a website with a few students and YouTube was not the behemoth it is today. Social media had yet to poison the well. Looking for trans representation was a full-time job. Literally, for some. There were no tutorials on how to inject T, no before-after vlogs about upper body surgery or histories about transition. Nothing. Anybody looking for any information about Trans lives would have to have first person accounts from acquaintances or friends or through Chat Rooms or MySpace (remember those?). Even LiveJournal was a source.

So the creation of Original Plumbing was revolutionary at the time. It tackled issues of masculinity, transness and the incorporation of transmasculine voices into the LGBTQ discourse. Something that I think is still lacking in today's world of oversharing and information overload. I liked Original Plumbing not only for the eye candy, but because it made all these people much more real and in a way, because the magazine transcended the physical aspects of transition, which always seem to have so much impact on people who are not used to trans bodies.

The magazine only had a twenty issue run and that made it unique but at the same time that's what makes me miss it. Not like there's much room for print 'zines these days (I don't know anybody else who still subscribes to Out, or The Advocate BTW) but it would be cool to have it. If only because I prefer print to electronic magazines and books.




The good news is that Original Plumbing is also a book and you can order it from FeministPress. If only for nostalgia, or to learn something new, it would be good to have it. Maybe a gift? Besides, independent press and bookstores need to be supported. Especially in times of Pandemics.

Don't you think?

XOXO

Comments

  1. It is sad that print journalism in general and niche journalism in particular is struggling or extinct. As you said, those seeking information have limited resources. And especially those in the trans community who need the support and knowledge that their experiences may have some commonality among the population. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. And seeing others like you helps you cope when things get tough.

    XOXO 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG so true. I've read of newspapers that used to have 200 people working for them and now are down to 4 reporters. So imagine what has happened to smaller weeklies and niche publications.

      XOXO

      Delete
  2. I have never heard of this magazine but hat a great thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was awesome when it came out, really. There was nothing like it.

      XOXO

      Delete
  3. I'll bet the Stonewall Archives and Library here has it. If not, I'll make sure they do! "Sunserve", the trans health center might as well.

    Everyone deserves their place in the sun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They may have it!
      And that'd be awesome, Jimmy, if they don't. LGBTQ history needs to be preserved. Younger generations need to learn from it, so they don't make the same mistakes...

      XOXO

      Delete
  4. I still see lots of magazines in LGBT Q bookstores and in other shops but the section has gotten smaller... But very few buy them anymore. I used to get out, the advocate, DNA, and Architectural Digest. I have bought one in years now. But magazines like this one would be nice to see....but i think sadly would not survive with very little sales these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Totally true. Remember when you could get four and five gay publications monthly or quarterly? Even mainstream publications have reduced their printed output and most everything now is published electronically. But you are right, niche magazines would not be sustainable nowadays...

      XOXO

      Delete
  5. Yeah, those are cool magazine covers. 🙂🧡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OP had that quirky point of view underground 'zines used to have in the nineties. And their cover models were 'real' people, so yes.

      XOXO

      Delete
  6. I'm glad to see FTM trans men stepping forward and taking their place in society. There has always been a bigoted view towards them even amongst the LGBTQ community. A negative view that they were traders for wanting to become men. Even in Canada, for years the government would cover the cost of MTF transitions but not FTM, the opposition came mostly from within the community, very shameful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely. FTM and transmasculine people have not been as visible as MTF members of the community. TERFs and some gay men really need to take a seat when it comes to the T in LGBTQ.

      XOXO

      Delete
  7. Never heard of it, but then I'm from a very conservative part of the country where you had to buy a Mandate under cover of darkness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I bet you may not have gotten it. Or maybe in the one lonely gay bookstore you probably used to have. LOL didn't Mandate used to come wrapped in black plastic?

      XOXO

      Delete

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