J.D.s

"J.D.s" is a queer punk zine founded in Toronto by G.B. Jones and co-published with Bruce LaBruce, that ran for eight issues from 1985 to 1991. [Citation
last = Krishtalka
first = Sholem
title = Art essay: We are Queercore
newspaper = Xtra
pages =
year = 2007
date = 2007-01-04
url = http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=3&STORY_ID=2528&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=2]

" "J.D.s" is seen by many to be the catalyst that pushed the queercore scene into existence", writes Amy Spencer in "". [cite book
last = Spencer
first = Amy
title = DIY: The Rise Of Lo-Fi Culture
publisher = Marion Boyars Publishers
location = London, UK
year = 2005
isbn = 0-7145-3105-7 ]

After the initial release of the first few issues of "J.D.s", the editors wrote a manifesto called "Don't Be Gay" which was featured in "Maximum RocknRoll" zine. According to Amy Spencer, "The article appeared in February 1989 and simultaneously attacked both punk and gay subcultures..." G.B Jones states, "Our goal, vis-à-vis the punk scene, was to antagonize." Spencer continues, "Following their article, a queer punk culture did begin to emerge."

The editors had initially chosen the appellation "homocore" to describe the movement they began, but later replaced the word 'homo' with 'queer' to create Queercore, to better reflect the diversity of the scene and to disassociate themselves completely from the oppressive confines of the gay and lesbian communities' orthodoxy and agenda. [Citation
last = Wilde
first = Christopher
title = The Origin of Love
journal = Queer Life News
url = http://www.queerlifenews.com/content/view/298/61 ] G.B. Jones says, "We were just as eager to provoke the gays and lesbians as we were the punks." According to Bruce LaBruce, "J.D.s" initially stood for Juvenile Delinquents, but "also encompassed such youth cult icons as James Dean and J.D. Salinger." [cite book
last = LaBruce
first = Bruce
title = The Reluctant pornographer
publisher = Gutter Press
location = Ontario, Canada
year = 1997
isbn = 1896356125]

The zine featured the photos and the "Tom Girl" drawings of G.B. Jones, [Citation
last = Peñaloza
first = Si Si
title = Sexy queer zine culture comes out again
journal = Now
year = 199
date = 1999-06-17
url = http://nowtoronto.com/issues/18/42/Ent/misc.html ] stories by Bruce LaBruce, and the "J.D.s Top Ten Homocore Hits", a list of queer-themed songs such as "Off-Duty Sailor" by The Dicks, "Only Loved At Night" by The Raincoats, "Gimme Gimme Gimme (My Man After Midnight)" by The Leather Nun, "Homophobia" by Victims Family, "I, Bloodbrothers Be" by Shock Headed Peters, "The Anal Staircase" by Coil and many more. Groups like Anti-Scrunti Faction were featured in the fanzine. Contributors included Donny the Punk, comic artist Anonymous Boy, author Dennis Cooper, artist Carrie McNinch, musician Anita Smith, punk drag performer Vaginal Davis and Klaus and Jena von Brücker. [Citation
last = Block
first = Adam
title = In Search of the Homo-core Underground
journal = The Advocate
pages = 52
year = 1988
date = 1988-10-11 ] [Citation
last = Cooper
first = Dennis
title = Homocore rules: gay zine makers bust a move
journal = Village Voice
pages = 92-93
year = 1990
date = 1990-09-04 ]

In 1990, "J.D.s" released the first compilation of queercore songs, a cassette tape entitled "J.D.s Top Ten Homocore Hit Parade Tape", which featured the groups The Apostles, Academy 23 and No Brain Cells from the UK, Fifth Column, Zuzu's Petals and Toilet Slaves from Canada, Bomb, Big Man, Robt. Omlit and Nikki Parasite of The Parasites from the U.S. and, from New Zealand, Gorse.

Also in 1990, and '91, G.B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce began presenting "J.D.s" movie nights . These happened in London, San Francisco, Montreal and Toronto with the editors and various contributors showing films, all made on extremely low budgets on Super 8 film, such as Jones' "The Troublemakers" and LaBruce's "Boy, Girl". [Citation
last = Paterson
first = Andrew James
periodical = Splice This! Toronto's Annual Super8 Film Festival
title = 2004 Program Guide Essay
year = 2004
url = http://www.splicethis.com/ongoing.php?ID=91 ]

References

ee also

*Queer Theory

External links

* [http://www.queerlifenews.com/content/view/298/61 "The Origins Of Love":G.B. Jones' Zines]
* [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-150694726.html "File Under Anarchy" : The Toronto Zine Scene]
* [http://zinewiki.com/index.php?title=J.D.s J.D.s at Zine Wiki]
* [http://www.qzap.org Archived copies of J.D.s Fanzine in PDF format] at the Queer Zine Archive Project