TEMP TATS ZINE

“The fight for human liberation and animal liberation is entwined, we do not need to pick one issue over the other. It is the same fight. Both humans and non-humans deserve a good quality life with dignity.”

My name is Tyler Trevino and I make Temp Tats Zine, an independent print publication that documents DIY music and culture throughout the United States. I have been vegan for 7 years and I am deeply committed to total human and animal liberation. Thank you for having me on FLESH//LESS!

What was the moment or experience that first pushed you toward veganism?
Veganism is a commitment that I grew into over the course of my entire life. My mom has been vegan on-and-off since the 90’s. As a child, she never enforced dietary restrictions upon me, but she always ensured that I was educated on the cruelty of animal agriculture. She exposed me to documentaries about animal suffering in factory farms when I was young. Eventually, when I was 13, I made the choice to become vegan by my own will. I consider myself very lucky to have a vegan mother, and even more lucky to have a patient one. She was never forceful, she showed me the truth and allowed me to make my own decision. I truly believe that her influence, trust in me to make the right choice, and commitment to education gave me a more empathetic and patient world view.
Did your path into veganism come before or after you started making zines?
I was vegan prior to starting Temp Tats Zine, however, I feel like veganism and zinemaking go hand-in-hand. I am passionate about zinemaking because it is a non-corporate, non-digital medium of sharing information. In a way, zinemaking is freedom. You can say whatever you want, and can even self-publish anonymously. There is no middle-man, such as a social media algorithm, to stop you from sharing. In most cases, you cannot display or describe torture online, so the average internet user does not have access to a visual understanding of cruel animal agriculture. Zines are a form of informational activism without censorship, I think they are a beautiful and powerful tool.
Was there a specific zine, publication, band, or other media that influenced your decision?
When I was early into my veganism, the essay Animal Liberation and Social Revolution by Brian A. Dominick absolutely solidified my decision. It was published in 1997, but the ideas are more relevant today than ever. In an attempt to summarize a loaded piece, I’ll say that the essay points out overlap between human and non-human liberation, specifically from an anarchist’s perspective. In the introduction, Dominick gave us a quote that has stuck with me for years:
“I am vegan because I have compassion for animals; I see them as beings possessed of value not unlike humans. I am an anarchist because I have that same compassion for humans, and because I refuse to settle for compromised perspectives, half-assed strategies and sold-out objectives. As a radical, my approach to animal and human liberation is without compromise: total freedom for all, or else.”
In the essay, Dominick very convincingly described intersections between human and animal oppression under capitalism. It radicalized me immediately and has stuck with me for many years.

How did your friends, family, or community react when you made that shift?
Given that my mom was already vegan for many years before me, my family was not surprised. They were always supportive and willing to try vegan food. Luckily, my friends were the same way. I have even had some friends and members of my community become vegans after I did. I feel very grateful for those people and admire them.

For you, how connected are veganism, straight edge, and your zine?
Promoting harm reduction is essential in all of my publications, sometimes that manifests in me talking about veganism or sobriety directly, however, it can appear in more subtle ways. For example, one issue of Temp Tats hasa tutorial on how to book a benefit show. Another issue has a tutorial on how to make your own zines for cheap. I view these pages as calls to action that might make a more tangible impact than simply stating my values. Veganism and sobriety are definitely connected to my zine, but not always directly.
Do you see publishing as an extension of your ethics, or is it a separate form of expression?
This is a fantastic question, publishing is absolutely an extension of my ethics. There is a disturbing amount of censorship and corruption in large news organizations, but there are still fantastic journalists and small publications out there. Independent presses can expose people to new ideas and perspectives that they may have never considered, things that would never be platformed in The New York Times or Washington Post due to corrupt leadership.

What role has zine culture played in shaping your beliefs or identity?
Honestly, zines have changed the trajectory of my entire life. They are incredible tools for both artistic expression and education, which are two very important things for me. I feel lucky to have discovered zines at a young age, because self-publishing has led me to pursuing a career in independent journalism. Next year, I will be a first generation college graduate! I hope to continue using publishing as a way of sharing suppressed ideas and radicalizing readers.

How has being part of the DIY publishing community strengthened your commitment to veganism or straight edge?
It has been very beautiful to see publications such asxSENTRYx promoting veganism and sobriety. Physical media can act as a nice reminder of why I am committed to these values, and show that I am not alone in them.

Do you feel zine culture today is more or less aligned with vegan and straight edge values than when you first got involved?
When I first became involved with zinemaking, I knew several DIY music/culture based publications but none, to my knowledge, were promoting vegan or straight edge values. Today, I am aware of several! I like to hope that they are becoming more aligned.

Has anyone ever told you that something you published inspired them to look into veganism or straight edge? If so, how?
Yes! In Issue 003 of Temp Tats I published an essay about how veganism aligns with DIY ethics. I had a friend tell me that it opened her mind, she has now been vegan for a few years and I am very proud! If it resonates with even only one person, it is worth it.

Do you think zines can genuinely influence people's way of thinking, or do they mainly express beliefs that already exist?
I think that zines can fantastically impact people’s thinking. Personally, I have read zines from Monkeywrench Books that have exposed me to ideas that were never taught in school. Education without censorship or barriers to entry is a radical thing. Additionally, the physicality of the zine makes it more digestible. I can read a zine ten times more carefully than a digital article or social media post because there are no notifications or ads to distract me.

Do you consider veganism inherently political? Why?
Yes. In my experience fighting against animal suffering, I have realized that it has intense parallels to human suffering when it comes to exploitation and hierarchy under capitalism. Brian A. Dominik said it best:
“The more we recognize the commonality and interdependence of our struggles, which we once considered quite distinguished from one another, the more we understand what liberation and revolution really mean.”
We, as radicals, should not advocate for exclusively human liberation. We must extend the same care for those who can not speak, fight back, or advocate for themselves. Peter Singer makes the wonderful point,
“When non-vegetarians say ‘human problems come first’ I cannot help wondering what exactly it is that they are doing for humans that compels them to continue to support the wasteful, ruthless, exploitation of farm animals.”
The fight for human liberation and animal liberation is entwined, we do not need to pick one issue over the other. It is the same fight. Both humans and non-humans deserve a good quality life with dignity.

Why do you think zines remain an important medium in the digital age?
Censorship is at an all-time high. Your freedom of speech is at risk. Media corporations can silence you online, but not on paper. Self-publish anonymously on a private, old-school printer if you want to spread radical literature.

What keeps you committed to veganism and straight edge when it becomes difficult or isolating?
Honestly, I have never found veganism or sobriety to be difficult or isolating. These lifestyle choices are best to minimize suffering of animals and the environment, as well as keeping myself safe for the sake of my family and loved ones. That is the easiest choice in the world.

Where do you see the vegan straight edge movement within zine culture going over the next decade?
Hopefully it continues to grow as people expand their knowledge of the cruelty of animal agriculture and environmental impacts. Publications like FLESH//LESS are insanely important to feed the movement. We need to keep on giving, because the more we give, the more people see. The more people see, the more they think. The more they think, the more they self-reflect. The more they self-reflect, the more they change.
If you are vegan and/or straight edge, please start a band, write an essay, or make a zine. Do anything to make your mark on this world.

What advice would you give to someone who's considering veganism or straight edge but is still undecided?
Consider your core values. Maybe you care deeply about your family or community. Maybe you care deeply about minimizing the suffering of others. Maybe you care deeply about the environment. Whatever it is that you care for, consider ways that those values align with veganism and/or sobriety. You may find that your current lifestyle does not align with your values, then you may make adjustments as you see fit.

Final Thoughts:

First zine or publication that made you think differently:
It is difficult to pinpoint the very first one, but a piece that stuck with me early on was “The Sexual Politics of Meat” by Carol J. Adams. Adams shows us that patriarchy is a domineering system that is implicit in both power dynamics between man/woman and human/animal. She shows us how objectification enables the oppression of animals so that animals are rendered being-less (or dehumanized, in a way) through technology, language, and cultural representation.
I am transgender (FTM) and was raised and socialized as a girl for most of my childhood, so Adam’s perspective really resonated with me. However, I feel like it was even more important for me to revisit as a man later in my life. I would recommend this book to everybody, regardless of gender. It is eye-opening and makes you think differently about gender dynamics in relationship to species dynamics. Adams later updated the subtitle of her book, “The Sexual Politics of Meat,A Feminist-Vegan Critical Theory.” She also coined the term “feminized protein” to describe dairy and eggs, arguing that they are not victimless foods. She viewed the exploitation of dairy cows and egg-laying hens as a form of sexual and reproductive slavery.

An article, essay, or quote that has stayed with you:
A classic…
"Don't let your outrage for injustice end where your selfishness begins."
-Eden’s Demise by Earth Crisis

One misconception about veganism / straight edge:
It is factually wrong that veganism is more expensive. Dried beans, rice, and lentils are some of the cheapest options at the store. Same for tofu. Stock up on those alongside some frozen or fresh veggies and fruit. If you cook at home, a plant-based diet can be more affordable than an omnivore diet.

What value will you never compromise, regardless of trends or outside pressure?
I will always be militant in my veganism, but that sternness is geared towards large institutions and powerful people, NOT towards my community. Most people are not born vegan, it is a decision that they grow into over time. It is important to give people grace and patience when discussing veganism. Negativity and harshness does not work when convincing people to go vegan, but delicate education and empathy does.
We should not shame non-vegans, we should ask them questions and provide them with information that makes them critically analyze their values.
What do you hope your work leaves behind?
As Nina Simone said, it is an artist’s duty to reflect the times. We have the ability to archive the social realities, fears, and triumphs of the moment into chronicles of our condition for future humans to look back on. I hope that my art and journalism are a good, accurate archive. More importantly, I hope that it touches the hearts of people today. Maybe it will inspire somebody to start a band, art project, or zine. That is so important!

One thing the community needs to do better:
Go to the library and read your ass off. Visit the Anarchist Library online. Support a local radical literature/zine distro such as Space City Anarchist Organization in Houston or Monkeywrench Books in Austin. Please use the amazing educational resources that are available to you. Do not let the extent of your involvement with veganism and activism be hardcore. Often, people hop on movements in the hardcore scene to fit in with a certain crowd or have some sort of hardcore credibility… That's not what this is about. If your XVX lifestyle is not rooted in hatred of oppression and knowledge of the cruelty of these industries, it will not stick. Read more, have conversations with people, and be an activist outside of just the benefit shows.
To be clear, I am NOT trying to discourage people from being xVx. I would never do that. I just want people to be in it for the right reasons, not for some social hierarchy or moral high ground bullshit.