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ALL ABOUT
BIPAN
MAGAZINE

Free. Independent. Volunteer -Run.

MEET THE CREW

The Bipan team is an artist collective that is working towards greater social change and decolonization across so-called Canada. We strive to continue to grow a community that is a safer space for all people.

Working on the Bipan team creates experience in journalism branching off to more specific areas of copywriting, digital design, and social media marketing.

CREW
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EDUCATION TEAM LEAD

Kirsten Dobler

she/they

ABOUT ʔixc̓əmatusəlagalis: Kirsten, also known as ʔixc̓əmatusəlagalis, hails from the Liǧʷiɫdax̌ʷ, a southern group of the Kʷakʷakəw̓akʷ. She's deeply engaged in Indigenous language revitalization, particularly in developing Kʷak̓ʷala Lik̓ʷala programs. With a Master's in Indigenous Language Revitalization and an undergraduate degree in elementary education, Kirsten has taught in various settings, from public schools in Quebec to the Gitxaaɫa Nation. Now, she's committed to fostering safe and holistic learning environments in Liǧʷiɫdax̌ʷ territory, advocating for decolonial education. Find ʔixc̓əmatusəlagalis in BIPAN's reoccurring column Indigenous Teaching Offerings.
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DIGITAL DESIGNER

Tyler Nykilchyk

he/they

ABOUT TYLER: Tyler Nykilchyk is a queer, neurodivergent, interdisciplinary artist, working with photographic processes, filmmaking, drawing, textiles, and sculpture. He’s a graduate of the diploma program at SPAO (School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa) and is currently studying Interactive Multimedia and Design at Carleton University. He has exhibited at the Ottawa Art Gallery, CONTACT Photography Festival, and Roseberry Road studios (Bath, UK). He has screened his short films in festivals in the UK, Egypt, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Gatineau, and Ottawa. Nykilchyk’s work invites the viewer to intimately observe struggle, combining craft practices with alternative processes, creating a vulnerable experience encouraging self reflection.
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COPYWRITER & EDITOR

Gregory Ravenda

he/they

ABOUT GREGORY: Gregory is a Queer person residing on Treaty 6 Territory in so-called Alberta. Assisting with copy and editing at Bipan Mag allows him the opportunity to engage with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community; an integral part of his personal, professional, and academic life. When he doesn't have his nose buried in a novel or his eyes glued to the silver screen, you can find Gregory making delicious coffees at his day job as a barista. With a passion for film and media, Gregory writes reviews in their spare time.
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SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Daniela Guerrero-Rodriguez

she/they

ABOUT DANIELA: Daniela Guerrero-Rodriguez is an aunty, artist, facilitator, coach and Liberatory Futurist. They are a queer brown Latinx immigrant of African, Central American Indigenous, Sepharidi, and European descent living as a settler on the stolen lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations in so-called Vancouver. In their work they seek to support community members and leaders take an intersectional and trauma informed approach to deepening their relationships with themselves, others, and the planet through creative and land based practices.
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COLUMNIST

Givi Tan

he/they

ABOUT GIVI: Cat dad, swole husband, Internationalist, & ongoing student of dialectical and historical materialism. Givi’s passion for sharing their research is driven by our impending need for collective liberation. Always aiming to provide clarity within the blaring, daily noise of living under globalised Capitalism. Givi has a history with Senior Care and Community work for providing essentials for the house less. “It is imperative for us to fight and not be caught passive, trampled under history, but rather be agents of our own history. It is our duty for those of us within the imperial core to rise up from within the belly of the beast.”
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COPYWRITER & EDITOR

Amanda Gómez Sánchez

she/he/they

ABOUT AMANDA: Amanda is a non-binary queer Venezuelan writer and organizer living in Mohkinstsis. They are community focused and co-founded The Hatch (@thehatchyyc), a community collaboration group, and Lavender Club (@lavenderclubyyc), a Sapphic events organizing group. Joining Bipan in 2021, they are currently the lead copywriter for the magazine. She is passionate about lifelong learning and encouraging others to stay curious and creative; he likes to pass time by being immersed in a book, or listening to podcasts.
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LEAD DIGITAL DESIGNER

Bee Ste Marie

she/her

ABOUT BEE: Bee is a neurodivergent queer woman of mixed heritage—French Settler, Métis, and Scottish—currently calling Lekwungen Territory / so called Victoria, home. She has a background in photojournalism and currently works as Communications manager with the MMIWG2S+ Urban Indigenous Action Group. Bee joined BIPAN in 2023, where she started off supporting social media design and is now the lead designer for the 2024 edition of the magazine. Bee is passionate about collective liberation, joy, and the idea that rest is resistance—an ethos inspired by Tricia Hersey’s work. She believes that empowerment and community can heal in profound ways. When she’s not designing, you can find her soaking up the local art scene or diving into a good book.
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COLUMNIST

Talia Maddalena

she/they

ABOUT TALIA: Talia is a transfemme writer and cat mama currently residing in Tkaronto. They use poetry as a medium to explore their lived experience as a femme-presenting highly sensitive person with sensory processing issues. Being part of the Bipan team since 2021, they enjoy having conversations with the Bipan artists and community members through cover artist interviews which gives her the chance to dive deep into people's personal and collective queer experiences.
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FOUNDER & EDITOR IN CHIEF

Natal Rivas Bolaños

he/they

ABOUT NATAL: Natal Rivas Bolaños also known as Sol Natal or Natal Rox is a descendant of the Nahuas Cuscatlán, but born and raised within Treaty 8 Territory of so-called Alberta, Canada. Natal is a first generation settler, Teaching Artist and Wellness Counsellor. As a late diagnosed AuDHD person and reconnecting Native he lives as a curious being always ready to teach, collaborate, and create art. They are often seen backstage on film sets and all kinds of productions from Fashion Shows to Youth Conferences. Natal enjoys creating curriculums and workshops and believes in accessible education. Natal created BIPAN in June 2020 to share resources for collective healing and community care across Turtle Island.
JOIN OUR TEAM

JOIN OUR TEAM

Bipan is looking to expand our team of volunteers.
All roles are remote and are unpaid volunteer positions.

Available Positions:

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Responsibilities: Aid in the creation of themed graphics for social media/website. Work as a Lead Digital Editor to execute designs for digital mag & Buy Me a Coffee merch. Gather inspiration for designs based on issue theme. Experience/skills required: Experience with Adobe apps such as Illustrator and photoshop. Experience with Canva. Understanding of design principles and knowledge of latest design trends. Time management and organizational skills. Amount of hours/week: Around 5 hours per week.

CONTENT CREATOR Responsibilities: Assist in finding local creatives/events to feature. Conduct research on featured guests/topics. Conduct interviews with planned interview questions. Write 800 to 1100 word articles based on research and interviews. Experience/skills required: Effective writing/communication skills. Strong research skills. Ability to match tone while letting your personality shine through. Knowledge of local creatives. Amount of hours/week: Around 5 hours per week.

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Responsibilities: Conduct email outreach on behalf of Bipan Magazine. Other administrative tasks as required. Experience/ skills required: Professional writing skills and ability to match tone according to brand. Highly organized. Social media management experience is an asset.

WHAT IS
BIPAN MAGAZINE?

Our goal is to stay free and accessible and continue to highlight people of the global majority.

Free Queer Media for those on Turtle Island!

Our team strives to make Bipan a safer place to experience representation and to embrace the queer community.

We are not an ego-based space, we do not claim to know everything on these topics nor shame those who have not been educated within them.

We have created 12 free-of-charge issues filled with queer education, resources, art and more.

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WHAT ARE
ZINES?

Zines are independent publications not mediated by mainstream publishers and are a form of counter-cultural production. The medium is also a hands-on method of creating and circulating materials that challenge dominant ideas around gender, racism, and sexuality

 

Zines are also known as fanzines, underground press, little magazines, small press & alternative publications. Formats include, but are not limited to: Art Zines, DIY Zines, Fanzines, Literary Zines, Personal Zines (also called Perzines), & Political Zines.

Zines provide unique primary source material on contemporary histories and are often utilized as a medium for marginalized voices. Zines provide a cultural snapshot and provide local and historical value to the community.

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BIPANS LOGO:

BIPAN’s logo may appear simple, but it contains a number of elements that make up the Bipan brand.

First off, we have the colours: pink, yellow, blue and purple are the colours of the Bisexual and Pansexual flag; the two sexualities that make up the name “bi-pan”. Next is the galaxy element (demonstrated by the wavy lines and star) that has been a visual theme with Bipan since the beginning.

Zooming out a bit, we see that the galaxy circle is also the iris of a cat eye; an homage to the mascot of Bipan, Lucas the black cat. The logo is grounded in a box, which symbolizes that Bipan is a magazine.

Contact: dino.zittlau@gmail.com

BUY ME A
COFFEE

Looking for a way to
help support this volunteer-led organization?
Buy us a coffee!

As we continue to grow, donations will help us expand and enable us to broadcast 2SLGBTQQIAA-BIPOC voices more widely across Turtle Island.

Donate as little as $1!

How your donations support us:

FUNDING

We are volunteer-run and ad-free which means our funding only comes from our readership. To support us in our endeavour to continue sharing great content by and for Canadian 2SQT-BIPOC, we're asking for contributions to help grow our brand and our reach.

INDEPENDENCE

Bipan is independently published. This means we're not mediated by mainstream publishers; we are not bound by the traditional and systemic discrimination in which the media participates. We publish the content that we do, not only to highlight emerging artists and grassroots activism, but to also feature unique primary perspectives from marginalized voices.

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