Student Group at UTSA Receives Backlash for Launch of "No Whites Allowed" Zine

An upcoming student publication at the University of Texas at San Antonio is causing a bit of controversy.

Although it has since been deleted, a Facebook event promoting the "No Whites Allowed" Zine's launch party last Thursday said the publication would create a space for "black and brown people, especially those who are queer," according to The Washington Times.

And while the zine hopes to give a voice to marginalized individuals, a number of social-media users are claiming that the publication's title is a form of "anti-white racism."

My friend is putting out a zine of queer/black art titled No Whites Allowed. The whites at UTSA feel personally attacked, because they want to continue to deny belief in the systematic oppression of black people.

— avg pleb (@hotwaxsexact) February 16, 2018

The group behind the zine sent a statement to KENS5 last week, saying the title of their publication "follows the tradition of transgressive and counter culture punk zines from the 80s and 90s." They said that the zine hopes to serve as a platform to queer people of color in "a society that rejects them."

While the zine is selling itself as a student publication, UTSA's chief communications officer Joe Izbrand told Campus Reform that a flyer promoting the launch party was taken down immediately on February 15.



"It was not approved or authorized by the university and was not affiliated with any campus organization or event," Izbrand told Campus Reform.

That didn't stop the news from spreading. Conservatives (and troll accounts alike) voiced outrage about the "anti-white racism" on social media.

Is institutionalized racism real? Absolutely. Against White people at the University of Texas at San Antonio. This racist, anti-White poster was approved by campus administration. Meanwhile if it said "no Blacks allowed," this would make national news headlines #UTSA @TrumpUtsa pic.twitter.com/tgxyWkIVdm

— Mike Pence UTSA (@DRosenberg92) February 15, 2018

Political commentator Tomi Lahren was one of those highlighting the zine.

How is this acceptable? https://t.co/Tlv5oNYa43

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) March 1, 2018

Though the publication is exclusively dedicated to uplifting queer people of color, the backlash has been similar to an opinion column last November in Texas State University's student newspaper, the University Star. Student Rudy Martinez, a junior, called for the death of "whiteness," saying white "DNA is an abomination."

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.