In 1984, a group of young women at the University of Toronto began discussing ways to raise the profile of feminism at the university. All of us were involved in various feminist activities in the city and on campus but were frustrated that there was no voice for women on campus. We were also full of energy and ideas and undaunted by the challenge of putting out a paper with very little money and no institutional support.  We wanted a place where we could imagine a more inclusive and welcoming campus, and where we could express ourselves as a new generation of feminists.   Many of us were heavily influenced by the women’s studies classes we were enrolled in at the time and that was reflected in our editorial concerns.  The name OtherWise, which was the result of a long brainstorming session, reflects our interest in feminist theory. In our first collective issue, we explained:

“We are hopeful that our publication will encourage men and women to adopt feminism as an analytical framework and as a strategy for change.  As our name suggests, we want to participate creatively in the process of reversing or undercutting the forces that insist on placing women in the category other.”

Despite many changes in personnel over the years, the OtherWise Collective managed to publish the paper on a shoestring budget from 1984 until 1990. Over the years, the paper covered a huge range of topics while trying to maintain a sense of humour, openness, and boldness.

Tori Smith, OtherWise Collective Member, 1984-1986