11:31am June 1, 2014

Call for Submissions: Trust Me - I’m Not a Doctor

Note: I put out this call for submissions awhile ago on an old blog. I only got one submission, and I ended up deleting my blog right around when the deadline came up. A lot of shit happened basically but I still really want this to happen! Also I’m hoping now that school is over hopefully people might have more time or spoons for stuff, and I’m gonna keep the entry far off (but please submit as soon as possible so I can edit it and send you any questions I may have).
TLDR: I’m compiling a zine about anti selfdiagnosis. I’m accepting all formats! Please read the guidelines if you’re interested in submitting.

There is plenty of disableism within the disabled community that needs to be addressed. I want to put together a webzine that focuses on something that has deeply affected the accessibility of the community for me: anti self-diagnosing.

When we can’t access healthcare, or our doctors refuse to properly diagnose or treat us, we turn to the disabled community for help - only to be turned away. We are even refused official diagnoses because we self diagnose!

All relevant content is welcome. Some possible prompts:

the classism, trans/misogyny, and colonialism behind anti self-diagnosis

how everyone self-diagnoses / what is self-diagnosing

why anti self-diagnosing is disableism

why we self-diagnose

your own experiences of diagnosis and disableism

how self-diagnosing helped you

the harms in official diagnosis without self-diagnosis

Any medium that can be saved to a computer is welcome. Articles, poetry, prose, photographs, comics, illustrations, video, music/audio, gifs, images of sculptures - whatever you can create. It can be fictional, very personal, theoretical, whatever. No size limits, but use your discretion. No novels please! Trigger warn your entries, and if it is not text format, provide a description, transcript, captions, etc. Do not write extensively or personally on any oppressions you do not face. Do think and write about how all oppressions intersect with disability. All languages are welcome, but I can only edit English, so please edit it or have it edited by a friend before you submit. Also, if it’s not in English, provide an English description, or a translation, if possible.

Entries are due September 15th. Please include your name, pronouns, disabilities, tumblr username if applicable, other identities you think are relevant, and which, if any, of that information would be alright to publish with your entry (if not please indicate if you want to use a pseudonym or just go as anonymous). Send submissions to trustme.nodoctors@gmail.com.

If anyone would like to help edit or transcribe non-English submissions for me or others, please contact me! I will keep this post updated with volunteer contact info.

Also the zine will be available in downloadable form and also as a tumblr!