Cover of Queer Cincinnati: Beyond the Binary, a painting of three people seen from above on a bright pink, yellow and green background, by Emil Wiersma

After Death Before Detransition, Trans Youth Across the River Make a Magazine of Their Own

October 20, 2026/in Culture/by Jules Crawley

Why Cincinnati?Following the success of Death Before Detransition, Queer Kentucky’s digital magazine made entirely by Kentucky trans youth, Queer Kentucky received funding from the City of Cincinnati to duplicate the project on the other side of the river with Cincinnati trans and nonbinary youth. We’re proud to have worked with these young writers and artists to make Queer Cincinnati: Beyond the Binary.

Queer Cincinnati: Beyond the Binary, a free magazine by and for trans and nonbinary young adults ages 18 to 24, launches this week with stories ranging from campus organizing to the search for sober queer spaces.

“I think it’s really important for trans and nonbinary youth to see something from their peers, and also put their own work into the magazine,” 21-year-old co-editor Nyla Davies told Queer Kentucky. “The magazine was completely brought about by trans and nonbinary people, for trans and nonbinary people.”

Davies, a student at the Art Academy of Cincinnati who wants to pursue writing and journalism, helped lead the magazine after Avery Plummer, an adjunct instructor, brought the opportunity to the school. Plummer helped guide Davies through the process of taking the magazine from concept to completion and served as co-editor along the way

Queer Cincinnati: Beyond the Binary, a project that began in April 2026, launches online on October 23 and contains nine articles ranging from 500-1000 words.

For the people who created it, the magazine has a special meaning.

“This article is a good way for me to get my writing out there, and to call other people to make changes at their own institutions,” said 20-year-old Eddy Risimini, a writer for the magazine.

Risimini’s story discusses the hiatus of some of the queer clubs at the University of Cincinnati following anti-DEI legislation like Ohio Senate Bill 1.

Ohio SB1 requires public colleges and universities in the state to “maintain institutional neutrality and ‘intellectual diversity’ on certain ‘controversial beliefs and policies’ including climate policy, electoral politics, foreign policy, immigration, marriage, and abortion.”

Universities and colleges were also impacted by the bill’s elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, departments, and required training. More information about SB1 can be found in Risimini’s piece.

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He said that as a student at the school, he hopes the magazine article will help to shine more light on the LGBTQ+ students and community there.

Harper Thomson, a 23-year-old writer and photographer for the project, said her article was intended to shine a light on a subject that may not often be talked about: the lack of sober spaces for queer people in Cincinnati.

“It means a lot to be able to talk about that, and make other people feel like they’re not so alone in that situation,” Thomson said. “I really want people to think more critically about the spaces they spend time in, and consider how accessible those are to everyone around them.”

Thomson went on to say that a lack of spatial consideration can lead to exclusion. She said this doesn’t just apply to sobriety, but also to spaces that are safe for people of color or transgender people.

“Our first goal is to spread joy, but we also know there’s a responsibility to talk about some of the things that not everybody wants to talk about,” Davies said.

The magazine has a lot of stories representing Cincinnati trans youth and their community, but also articles calling out problems in the city, too.

“There are some sad stories, and there’s some community-building stories,” Davies added. “There’s a lot of range in the magazine.”

Thomson said she thinks it’s important to give transgender people a space to speak and to feature a wide variety of transgender voices. The magazine chose writers by using an open call, which Thomson said gave everyone a chance to get their voices out into the world.

“It’s important to remind other people that we do have a voice, and in some ways, we have more power than people in the administration,” Risimini said.

The project also includes various creative elements, with abstract, colorful illustrations of trans and queer sentiments done by several artists. Illustrators include Cocoa Durrett, Kami Pankey, Sav Hoyt, and Ian Johnson. The cover art was painted by Emil Wiersma.

Photos done by Thomson include images from the UC Trans Frat, a queer-owned vintage store called Secondhand Circus, and a piece of artwork that Murray Foust, the late trans Northern Kentucky University student who died earlier this year, had gifted to their partner.

Availability will primarily be online, but some free print copies will be available to the public at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and at the Lesbian Archives.