The University of Otago Hocken Collections hosted a Hocken Pride Zine Workshop as part of Dunedin Pride Month.
It was an opportunity for those in the rainbow community to learn how to create their own zines and discover the historic role they had played in marginalised communities.
Hocken Collections assistant Gini Jory said zines were different from magazines in that they were generally handmade and self-published.
"They are normally distributed for as cheap as possible if not for free.
"It is really about that sharing of information more than it is about making money."
Zines often had roots in activist movements and minority groups, including the rainbow community.
Among the zines and magazines related to the rainbow community in the Hocken Collections was a newsletter for the Dunedin Lesbian Group, created on a typewriter.
The newsletter, beginning with the introduction "hello every dyke", discussed the Dunedin Lesbian Library, forming a book club and hiring a "quaint little crib" for group members to spend a weekend together.
Another publication called the Pink Express catered mainly for the gay men’s community and highlighted events such as a youth group coffee evening, a gay men’s dance and a jumble sale.
"It really is about just having those social connections to connect people together, which I think would be really important for the queer community when you are ostracised," she said.
Zines often had a handcrafted feel, with simple illustrations.
"When I make a zine it doesn’t have to go through an editorial process.
"I make it, I photocopy it, I give it out."
In addition to creating their own zines, attendees were encouraged to consider donating them to the Hocken Collections.
"One of the kaupapa that we want from this workshop is to get more zines in the collection, especially to get more queer zines in the collection.
"So we have that representation for future research as well."
