Decoded Pride Returns for Issue Number 2
We interviewed Monika Estrella Negra (she/her/hers), editor for Decoded Pride 2 and editor-in-chief for cinéSPEAK Philadelphia, as well as S.E. Fleenor (they/them/theirs), also an editor for Decoded Pride 2. The two editors gave us an insightful look into their newest issue of Decoded Pride, part of their publishing house, QueerSpec.
Decoded is a story-a-day anthology comprised of queer speculative stories for the entire month of June. Part of the main reason this issue was created was to provide a safe place and a platform for queer people who find that their voices are silenced elsewhere. As Monika puts it, “We literally have to shrink ourselves in order to make people feel comfortable.” They believe that it is important to allow queer creators to not only exist, but create and publish their work outside of the cis, heteronormative gaze.
All three editors of Decoded identify themselves within the LGBTQ community and have much experience navigating the world as queer individuals within this industry and society as a whole. The editors emphasize the need for authentic, vulnerable, intimate, and heartfelt, queer stories to be told instead of being pushed aside in favor of stories that are more “palatable” to cishet audiences. “If we don’t do the work, nobody else will; they will literally just try to erase us by any means necessary,” says Monika.
Decoded’s first issue was announced a week before the pandemic hit the United States. Almost canceling the issue, they reconsidered. As S.E. states, “What do queer people need more right now? Each other. Like, intimate connections with each other.” Now, a year later, queer people still need those connections and the creation of community after living through unprecedented times. What people in the LGBTQ community needed a year ago and what they need now are stories they can see themselves in. Stories that do more than just queer-code a villain and call it a day, they have complex and relatable characters who are unapologetically queer. In this issue, there is a wide array of stories, comics, and art that have different themes, genres, and perspectives that can appeal to anyone.
All three editors also have a podcast, Bitches On Comics, where they discuss comics, movies, things they like and don’t like about the industry and nerd culture, and much more. On their podcast, they held a few table talks with some of the creators featured in this issue, gaining insight into their process, their perspective, who they are as people, and more.
To the people behind Decoded, this issue and Pride Month is encompassing of many things. They wanted to make Pride accessible to people in ways not often thought of. For the people within the community who don’t go out to Pride parades or gay bars during June, they are still able to celebrate with queer content provided in this issue. They also wanted during this Pride Month, we take the time and space to reflect on the protection of queer and transgender youth, especially given the recent attacks on the transgender community.
When asked what Pride means to her, Monika has this to say: “Pride means abolition now. That’s what it means to me. End all forms of harmful policing on things that are different than the norm, whatever the norm may be because there is no such thing as normal, only what people try to project onto you because they are insecure with their own identities and who they are as people.” The same was asked to S.E. who say, “We want the prisons torn down. We want money redistributed. We want reparations paid. Seriously, I mean that’s what Pride is because Pride, to me, is about community.”
This second issue of Decoded Pride is hoped to be one of many, as the goal is to have a new issue every year. A subscription for the issue can be purchased, and when June ends the issue will be converted into an eBook and available at local libraries. Every purchase of Decoded goes directly to the creators, for some of which this is their first publication. As a finishing thought, Monika stated, “We deserve the right to exist and live our lives happily and without danger, and we deserve to tell these stories because these stories are going to preserve our legacy in the world.”
Image Credit: Artwork by Dani Kinney
