Bristol’s new intersectional feminist journal champions LGBTQ+ voices

A new intersectional feminist literary journal is championing the works of LGBTQ+ people, as well as those from other marginalised experiences.

“At the core of feminism is the fight for equality” says Jade Green, founder of oranges journal, which officially launched on January 26th.

“In order to achieve this goal we need to ensure marginalised voices are being heard and amplified”.

Dissatisfied with the lack of representation in literary journals, Jade is launching oranges journal to create the beautiful, exciting literary space she’s always sought.

“I’ve been reading and submitting to literary journals and magazines for the last seven years. Although I’m very grateful to the publications that have selected and shared my writing, I’ve never really found the one journal that completely aligns with my tastes and beliefs.”

“I set about creating oranges journal because I wanted to build the kind of site on which I would be proud to feature my work – on an aesthetic and ideological level!”

Jade Green is the founder of Oranges Journal. Photo by David Mackenzie.

The newly launched site declares that their mission is “to promote the work of women, BAME, LGBTQ+, non-binary, neurodivergent, disabled, working-class/low income and mature creators”, and Jade hopes that the dedicated space oranges journal provides will empower those normally excluded from literary spaces.

“As the site launches I hope to empower marginalised creators to submit their stories and essays; as a writer, I know how scary it can be to put your work out into the world, but it is crucial to the development of any artist.”

Herself bisexual, Jade deeply understands the importance of seeing oneself reflected in mainstream media.

“It’s taken me a long time to feel valid in my own bisexuality because there were no role models for me growing up and only stereotypes of queer people in the stories I consumed.”

“Thankfully things have changed, and I think we have come a long way with queer representation, but there is still work to be done. There is still a disturbing lack of trans and non-binary representation in the stories we consume today.”

Jade hopes to empower writers from marginalised communities. Photo by David Mackenzie.

Oranges journal stands firmly in support of trans and nonbinary writers; a welcome sight given the worrying rise of so-called trans exclusionary radical “feminists” in academic institutions.

“Historically, much of feminist theory has failed to take into account how class, race, sexuality etc. can overlap with the social and systemic issues raised by gender inequality and create further layers of discrimination and disadvantage”.

“Transphobia is a huge issue in society and the media, with powerful cultural figures using their platforms to stir up division and hatred.”

The BBC have been accused of perpetuating transphobia in mainstream media. Photo by Ellie Pipe

There has been increasing concern that traditional British academic systems have failed to keep pace with modern societal shifts; Jade notes that many within these systems remain mired in their own privilege.

“Academia is a system, and just like the legal system, educational institutions should be striving to evolve and stay up-to-date with what is happening in the current moment. In order to do this, people within these systems need to be open and compassionate, and willing to recognize their own privilege and the role of unconscious bias in policies and curriculums.”

The journal is accepting submissions until the end of February, and style guidelines and example works are available to read on the site. However, Jade says the thing she is seeking most is emotional authenticity.

“I have come across a lot of writing that is trying to be ‘good’, where the writer is clearly trying to please an imaginary reader or write in a style that is popular at that moment. But truly outstanding writing is scary, vulnerable, raw.”

“As much as possible I want the work published on oranges journal to be stripped of pretension and the need to please.”

Above all, Jade wants oranges journal to be a force for positive change.

“ I believe the antidote to prejudice and ignorance is empathy, and through writing and stories we can increase people’s capacity for empathy and raise the consciousness of humanity.”

Submissions to oranges journal will be open for the whole of February. Fiction should be under 8,000 words and cultural essays/mental health articles should be under 4,000 words. Submissions should be sent as a PDF or .doc/.docx file to submissions@orangesjournal.com with the category, title and author name in the subject line. There is also the option to make a £5 donation to the site to receive feedback on your work – further information and full submission guidelines are available under the ‘Submissions’ tab on the site.

Main image: David Mackenzie.

Read More: SQUARE: A snapshot of mental health, education and sexuality in Bristol