Raspa Magazine is a response to the paucity of queer Latinx literature readily available to readers. It is a yearly queer literary magazine that focuses on the Latinx perspective. Raspa intends to showcase the experience of queer Latinx artists, thereby providing a better understanding for ourselves as peers and for those outside of our community. Raspa encourages artist who self identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and/or Intersex to submit their work in an effort to increase visibility within the greater literary community. Raspa Magazine was started in Austin, Texas by César Ramos in the fall of 2012. 

Our Name / Nuestro Nombre

The title Raspa was carefully chosen for its linguistic significance. The word itself is reflective of the progression of the Spanish language. It is an integration of formal Spanish and colloquial speech. Through colloquial usage the traditional word raspar, which means “to scrape,” has morphed into raspa, the rainbow-colored shaved ice many of us grew up enjoying on hot summer days. It is from this current colloquial usage that Raspa draws its visual connotation: The rainbow-colored ice resembles the diversity symbol of the pride flag, and the cone suggests the inverted triangle that was once used to mark homosexual internment camp victims and is now being reclaimed as a symbol of pride and gay rights.

Our Staff / Nuestro Equipo