The Antagonist Magazine exists to challenge mainstream thought on social issues in American society while standing in opposition to concepts that oppress marginalized groups
Arturo Dominguez, Founder
Our Approach
Welcome to The Antagonist Magazine!
My name is Arturo Dominguez and I created this space to be home for marginalized voices, their allies, and the issues faced by those groups. The idea behind this project is to be an outlet for those who haven’t been given an opportunity to speak their truth. To be the home for work discussing society, culture, and identity from the perspective of those who fight to correct the issues that ail the institution of American society.
Everyone is welcomed to contribute to the conversation.
There are far too many writers, particularly writers of color, who address society’s problems with a focus on the variation and complexity of the issues discussed, i.e., intersectionality. In other words, writers are often drowned out by those who speak in generalizations without acknowledging that none of the issues (or those affected by them) are monolithic in nature.
Many of the issues we face in the world are undercut by oversimplification. In nearly every case regarding social justice nuance is one of the most important aspects of the discussion. Without understanding the underlying issues of a problem, it’s impossible to adopt the proper corrective measures to ensure the freedom and liberties afforded to privileged groups.
These are the conversations that need to be had.
While the term “antagonist” is often associated with the “bad character” in literature, on stage or on screen, there are many cases where the opposition, or the antagonist, is on the side of good and the protagonist is flawed. Merriam-Webster defines an antagonist as “one that contends with or opposes another.” It is in this definition that we should strive to oppose the status quo and to disrupt the existing structural hierarchy of white supremacy, patriarchy, and the oppression of marginalized groups such as the LGTBQ community.
Our Platform
The idea of the platform is to foster diversity in thought imparting wisdom and knowledge to the mainstream. Media outlets across the globe fail to properly and thoroughly discuss the issues that affect marginalized groups because many are driven by ad dollars, corporate control, and the limitations created by both of those. In other words, they generalize far too often.
The platform will strive to maintain its independence and to remain a not-for-profit entity. While we do not currently have the documentation in place to be an official non-profit, our goal is to achieve that status in the long term. Until then, we promise to maintain independence through donations, memberships that offer exclusive content, and product sales.
The goal (in part) is to promote these avenues to generate revenue that will eventually* afford writers the opportunity to earn something for their work.
*If you’re on Medium, payment for articles is built-in
Our Concept
The idea behind the platform is in its early stages. This is a young publication that started on Medium and has expanded beyond the virtual walls of the platform. This will bring us out into the open and exposing us to the broader community. Much thought and discussion have gone into this concept and I believe The Antagonist Magazine is ready to adapt as we learn from and grow with the contributors of the platform and our audience.
This is a space where we can all share, discuss, and open the world to solving the issues that affect those that have been left on the fringes of society through art, non-fiction, fiction, music, poetry, and various types of literature.
Our Content
The content found here should focus on areas that include but are not limited to culture, sexuality, society, gender, social science, mental health, politics, race, identity, justice, feminism, women, equality, and addiction. Think along the lines of publishing evergreen content such as essays, narrative non-fiction, reported non-fiction, fiction, rants, perspective driven content, opinions, oral history, informative pieces, poetry, and more.
This will not the place for negative hateful content. No hate will be found here. Our mission is to expose the bigotry that drives society. To call it out and address it in the fight for equality and justice for all.
I hope you join me in making this a prominent platform for the unheard.
If you’d like to submit a story to the publication feel free to email us at theantagonistmagazine@gmail.com and request to be added as a writer.