WELCOME TO MAI ISSUE TWO
Dearest MAI Readers,
Since we brought out the inaugural issue of MAI in May of 2018, a great deal has happened globally to give those of us working within any space of critique — whether this takes the form of scholarship, artistic practice, or activism — great cause for concern. The two collectively authored letters, written out of a keen sense of urgency, and the eloquent and precise dissections in the form of critical response by Rebecca Harrison, Emma Spruce, Jacob Breslow & Tomás Ojeda that open this second issue of MAI outline the scale of the problem we are facing right now.
In short, those of us who work assiduously to critique the structures of power, which maintain a system that profits from discrimination against women, black and brown communities, ethnic minorities, Roma, Latinx, Indigenous, gay, lesbian and bisexual, trans and non-binary, single mothers, working poor, differently-abled, immigrant, homeless, refugees, are under attack right now. In its extreme form, this manifests itself through the actions of right-wing governments who strive to denounce and ban our work. In its most pedestrian form, it is apparent in the daily micro-aggressions that wreak a devastating effect of attrition on those trying to work against the grain of systems that are damaging and oppressing to those who are most vulnerable.
We dedicate this issue, with its special focus on queer sexuality, to all of those who feel terrified by what is happening in our world. We want you to know that you are not alone: we see you, we stand with you and we will not stop doing the vital work of intersectional feminism. With this issue, we create a space dedicated to all of you. Despite the backlash, we are growing stronger. We know you are tired. We know you are angry. We are, too. Let us do this work together. Because together, we shall not be trounced.
We want to thank, in particular, Connor Winterton and Amy McCauley who have worked tirelessly to bring this issue together. Their work, between creative and critical response, is the backbone of MAI 2, which speaks to so many of the pressing concerns we need to address right now.
Finally, all of us here at MAI wish to express our profound gratitude for all the monetary donations and social media promotion and support that has come from our readers and contributors over the past year and a half. Your continuous help got us to this point: we are here, still pushing back, because of you all.
We also thank the University of Gothenburg for their recent offer to support MAI and house us within their walls, whilst allowing us to continue our work without compromise.
We are so proud of what we have achieved with this issue. And we hope that these pages will furnish our readers of all genders with joy, solace, a sense of community and inspiration.
Long may this intersectional space continue to thrive.
In solidarity,
Anna Backman Rogers and Anna Misiak
November 2018
Gothenburg, Sweden and Falmouth, UK