Quake Magazine
- Quake Magazine
- College of Arts & Sciences, Penn Women's Center (PWC)
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Student Creative Production Grant
Quake Magazine uses literature, photography, design, and other art forms to facilitate the appreciation of bodies, relationships, sex, and love of all kinds, striving to explore these themes in a respectful, inclusive, and artful space which is welcoming to all identities. In seeking honest sharing, we value confidentiality above all else. We prioritize being equitable, curious, and trustworthy in our appreciation for different stories. Outside of the magazine, we seek to be a voice for sexual health and education on campus, through events, fundraisers, and gatherings that engage the community on sex, sexuality, and gender related issues. Over the last four issues of its publication, Quake has proved to address an unmet need in our student body – a publication that takes seriously the concerns of students around issues of sex and sexuality. In a culture that tells people – particularly women and other marginalized identities – that their sexual thoughts and needs are unimportant or otherwise worthy of criticism and unwanted scrutiny, creative expression that gives students agency and voice is crucial. Quake speaks to not only this societal need but the logistical and structural ones arising from it: unlike social media and many academic settings, we encourage rather than censor content often deemed “explicit.” This censorship – often imposed on creators with marginalized identities – directly suppresses creative expression and implicitly communicates such content is “deviant,” perpetuating its exclusion from view.