Despite living in a hyper-sexualized society, there is shame and secrecy around our sexual experiences. The uniform representations of sexuality and orgasms in porn and pop culture at best do not represent our own experiences of orgasms, and at worst can make us feel inadequate or even abnormal. Folks who have lived experiences as women, femme, non-binary, trans, older, racialized, neurodivergent, disabled, or other marginalized identities can feel even moreso that their sexual experiences are underrepresented or misrepresented.
To fill this gap, Tamara and Amanda started publishing The Orgasm Zine in 2010. The Orgasm Zine is a compilation of personal stories and art about our diverse experiences with orgasms, sexuality, and pleasure. The first two issues of the Orgasm Zine (made in 2010 and 2013) included stories from people who identified as or were socialized as women.
They are now making Issue 3 and looking for submissions from anyone who feels they have complex experiences of orgasm that are affected by their lived experience in a marginalized identity, including (but not limited to) people who identify as women, femme, non-binary, trans, older, racialized, neurodivergent, or disabled.
The editors of The Orgasm Zine do feel that people who have been socialized as and/or live in this world in the historical-social category of women and bodies that are gendered as female have specific, important, and unheard stories of orgasms. However, they also recognize that our identities are layered and intersectional, and gender is not the only or most important aspect in how we experience our bodies, pleasure, and sexuality.
Submissions can cover any topic related to your experience with orgasms, but could respond to one of the following questions if you are in need of inspiration.
- What comes to mind when you think of the word orgasm?
- Do you have orgasms?
- What helps you have an orgasm? What can get in the way or make it difficult?
- Are orgasms important to you? Why or why not?
- How would you describe your orgasms? Do you have different kinds of orgasms?
- How has your experience of orgasm changed through your life or in recent years?
- Do you ever feel disappointed by your orgasms or worry others do?
- Have you ever helped someone else learn how to orgasm?
- Do you have orgasms without genital stimulation? If so, what are they like?
- Do you have difficulty reaching orgasm, or did you in the past? What did you do about it?
Submissions can take the form of written stories, illustrations, comics, photographs, or collages. Stories should be 500 words or less. Visual content should work well in a printed format of black and white, photocopied, folded booklet of 8.5” X 14” (legal size paper). The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2026.
For more information about the Issue 3 call for submissions or The Orgasm Zine, visit theorgasmzine.wordpress.com or email orgzines@gmail.com.
