This zine documents the rich history of the Charm City Kitty Club, a queer arts and performance cabaret in Baltimore. The goal for this project was to build a cohesive story from all of the interviews recorded with Charm City Kitty Club members. After about seven hours of audio listening, I was able to piece together bits of story from every interview and bring them into a singular space. I was eager to explore why the club was formed and emphasize its necessity in the members’ lives and in Baltimore queer community. I also wanted to touch on the prevalent themes of performance and community as sanctuary. Importantly, I wanted to share memories and photos of the Kitty Club and bring those moments of queer joy and performance to the foreground. As someone who is fascinated by the history of my environments and identities, I found this project enlightening and inspiring as I was granted access to such sacred and cherished pieces of Baltimore queer history. Creating this zine has been such a rewarding experience and I am thrilled to be sharing it with you all. Enjoy! -Riya
Click here or the picture below to read my zine!
