Monstering is a magazine, written by and for disabled people who experience gender-based oppression. This includes women, non-binary, trans, gender non-conforming, agender, and gender-expansive people. Monstering is our space to celebrate our identities and reclaim our stories.

We believe in this: monster stories. Which is to say we believe in monsters, which is to say we believe in their socio-cultural manifestation: disabled people. In some stories, it is trauma that becomes the catalyst for monstering; in others, it is something natural, instinctive, welling from inside and raging forth. In all forms of the narrative, the monster becomes a symbol for that which is unknowable: the hungry, the grotesque, the terrifying and unlovely and strange. And so the myth perpetuates, giving form and voice to all things terrible and uncertain.

The heritage of the monster is one of oppression; the legacy of the monster is one of pain, of violence and cruelty and exile.

We believe in this: the power of the abnormal. The term "monster," derived from the Greek "τέρας" and the Latin "monstrum"—a sign, portent, or omen. In any case, monsters as a warning, heralding the arrival of the supernatural: revelation of the apocalypse; unveiling of the horrific, poetics and all. Blurring the boundaries between what is phantasmal and mundane, saying this: the divine is at hand.

We believe in this: the ritual of naming. Transgressing the depths of the labyrinth—the thick, oozing dark—and emerging a new creature: a confusion of angles and edges, sharp and bristling; a blistered, fearful body. The sacrilege of acceptance leads to a newfound, trembling grace.

We believe in this: choosing to be more than human; choosing to be something else.

We believe in this: reclamation. Singing the monster's body, in all its profane glory, through persecution and into righteousness. Respecting the awfulness of the foolish creature; honoring the softness of the animal's survival. Here, now, loving this: the heart of the monster, which is the heart of the legend, which is the heart of the god.

We believe in this: surviving, striving, and thriving, claws and teeth and all.

The telos of monstering is transcendence. The telos of monstering is the holy army of monsters.

Monstering began as a literary magazine by a small team of disabled women and gender-diverse people with the intention of publishing art and writing by other disabled creators who experienced gender-based oppression. As we have grown in the past 5 years, Monstering has also published interviews, media reviews and social commentary. As we continue to diversify, Monstering now sells merchandise and will soon be found on Patreon, with exclusive content and ways of supporting our mission. We hope you'll join us for the ride.

Brianna Albers

Kristen Tollan (acting)

Zara Munro (on hiatus)

HIRING!

HIRING!

Sarah Duncan

Cristina Deptula

Ellen Young

Emily Gillespie

Emily Murman

Euphemia Beneviste

Esther Vininsky-Oakes

Jamie Laya

Lana Phillips

Lilyanne Kane

Taylor Marie

HIRING!

Of course!

We recognize the range of disabilities that women and gender-diverse people face, including—but not limited to—physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, and chronic illnesses. If you are confused as to whether or not your experiences fall under our definition of disability, we encourage you to contact us via email at .

No! We as a publication do not possess any affiliations—religious, political, or otherwise. We encourage people of all worldviews to contribute.

Yes! We recognize that, in many cases, the lives of disabled women do not revolve around their disabilities.

We recognize that disabled women and nonbinary people have their own unique struggles. Racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, religious intolerance, and other forms of oppression add to the complexity of the challenges that disabled women and nonbinary people already face. Thus, we encourage—and prefer—submissions that address the intersection of these issues.

When our editor-in-chief first founded Monstering, she put out a call for people interested in helping her get a zine, or online magazine, up and running, welcoming anyone and everyone. Thus, everyone on the masthead is someone who expressed interest. However, now that Monstering has launched, we are actively looking for people who are LGBT+ and/or of color and/or from historically marginalized communities to join our team. Monstering is dedicated to upholding and uplifting diverse voices, and we intend to do everything we can to ensure that.