Hazel Newlevant

@newlevant.bsky.social

2910 Followers 281 Following

Cartoonist and editor. My graphic novel QUEER & HOW WE GOT HERE is out now from Little, Brown Ink! 🤪 they/them ⚧️

Me in front of a gateway in the Wat Suthat temple
Shelves at Fantom Comics in DC, labeled by subject (“Sports” and “Animals”) with no distinction between manga, American, and European comics.
Photo of QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE and SUGAR TOWN on a shelf at Fantom Comics in DC. Underneath is a label saying “SIGNED by Hazel Newlevant”
CAPTION: Mattachine conducted a (cautious and respectable) picket for gay rights at the White House in 1965... CAPTION: ..which morphed into the Annual Reminder Day protests in Philadelphia... CAPTION: ...which younger radicals reorganized as a march in NYC, to commemorate the Stonewall uprising in 1969. CAPTION: Marchers riffed on James Brown's Black Power anthem: JAMES BROWN: Say it loud! I'm Black and I'm proud! MARCHERS: Say it loud! Gay and proud!
CAPTION: Rustin was a radical pacifist who had cofounded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942 and organized numerous daring challenges to racial segregation. CAPTION: During the Montgomery bus boycott, he mentored Martin Luther King Jr. in nonviolent direct action. Rustin supported King's work however he could-drafting speeches and articles, designing volunteer trainings, raising funds, and organizing rallies. CAPTION: But Rustin's sexual history constantly threatened to undermine him. CAPTION: Because he had been arrested for "lewd vagrancy." he was forced to hide many of his contributions to the movement. CAPTION: He resigned as King's assistant after Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the Harlem pastor and congressman, threatened to say King and Rustin were having an affair! NARRATOR HAZEL: Queer people were active throughout the civil rights movement, and many applied its lessons to the fight for gay liberation. However, the rhetoric adopted by Kameny and other white activists, that being gay is analogous to being Black, has obscured queer people of color and created rifts as well as solidarity.
CAPTION: In 1963, Kameny attended the March on Washington with a small Mattachine contingent. OSSIE DAVIS: The man who organized this whole thing: Mr. Bayard Rustin! RUSTIN: Ladies and gentlemen, The first demand is that we have effective civil rights legislation! No compromise, no filibuster! And that it include public accommodation, decent housing, integrated education, FEPC*, and the right to vote! What do you say?! JACK NICHOLS: Why aren't we gays having civil rights marches, too? *FEPC: Fair Employment Practices Committee
Saturday, June 27 FANTOM COMICS 2010 P Street NW Washington D.C. 6:30pm “Making of the book” talk & signing A masks-required event [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] [background: a green-and-blue colorized photo of the inside of Fantom Comics]
Photo of THE ART OF THAI COMICS: A Century of Strips and Stripes, by Nicholas Verstappen, page 77. Caption next to a line drawing illustration of children in a theater watching a Donald Duck cartoon. “Projection of an animated film starring Donald Duck in a Thai theatre. The caption warns young readers that the air quality in theatres is unhealthy due to the audience’s exhalations. Illustration from the health education manual Suk Sueksa, written by Roi Ek (Captain) Prom Phionuan. Published by Prachachang and the Ministry of Education, 1949.”
Shay Mirk and Hazel Newlevant in conversation at Always Here Bookstore in Portland, OR.
CORRECTION: Thursday, June 18 6:30 - 8pm ALWAYS HERE Bookstore 4555 N Williams Av Portland, Oregon Talk & Signing In conversation with Shay Mirk [author photo of Shay] A masks-required venue [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] [background: a pink-and-blue colorized photo of the open door to Always Here. There’s a “Masks Required In This Space” sign on the door, and a mural on the far wall that says “Out of the closets! Into the streets!”
Me smiling at an outdoor table full of my wares. Abernathy elementary school is behind me.
Saturday, June 13 Books With Pictures BwPCon! 11am-7pm [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] 1401 SE Division St Portland, Oregon Outdoor event [background: a green-and-blue colorized photo of last year’s BwP Con. There’s a row of white vendor tents going down the street, and big trees in the background.]
Queer and How We Got Here BOOK TOUR! Saturday, June 13 Portland, OR BwPCon 11am-7pm [outdoor event] CORRECTION: Thursday, June 18 Portland, OR Always Here 6:30pm masks-required venue CORRECTION: Saturday, June 27 Washington D.C. Fantom Comics 6:30pm masks-required event [cartoon self-portrait of me, pulling a suitcase and flashing a peace sign. I’m a white, androgynous person with a brown shag haircut, wearing a ZiMi mask, pink denim jacket, red shirt, gray jeans, and moto boots]
TCAF table map showing Hazel Newlevant selling QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE at table 103B (2nd floor)
[Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] June 6-7 TCAF Toronto Comics Arts Festival Mattamy Athletic Centre 50 Carlton St Table 103B (2nd floor) Free & open to the public! Saturday: 9am-5pm Sunday: 10am-5pm [background: a pink-and-blue colorized photo of TCAF taking place in the Mattamy Athletic Centre. It’s a big sports arena, filled with comic convention booths and tables.]
Thursday, June 4 7pm McNally Jackson Seaport Pride in Writing 2026: “Queer History, Telling Our Own Story” Hugh Ryan Myriam Gurba Hazel Newlevant
Sunday, May 31 COMICS N’ MORE 64 Cottage St Easthampton, MA [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] “Making of the book” talk & signing 4pm A masks-required venue [background: a pink-and-blue colorized photo of the interior of Comics N’ More. Store proprietor Xtian is visible, wearing a black tri-fold mask and a Comics N’ More t-shirt]
Me and Gretchen sitting next to our books, QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE and BLACK FLAME.
6:30pm Friday, May 29 ALL SHE WROTE 75 Washington St Somerville, Massachusetts Talk & Signing [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] In conversation with Gretchen Felker-Martin [author photo of Gretchen] A masks-required event [background: a green-and-blue colorized photo of the inside of All She Wrote]
Me (white, androgynous, 30s, brown shaggy hair) wearing a black ZiMi mask, a black cap saying “The Queen’s Cups” (in Supreme brand font) and a cut-off Prince shirt (with the name logo from 1999) in standing in front of a gray stone building.
Me (white, androgynous, 30s, dark shaggy hair with red highlights, wearing gray jeans and a gray hoodie) sitting on a blue sofa with my cat Calypso (tabby with a white nose) in my lap.
6:30pm Friday, May 29 ALL SHE WROTE 75 Washington St Somerville, Massachusetts Talk & Signing [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] In conversation with Gretchen Felker-Martin [author photo of Gretchen] A masks-required event [background: a green-and-blue colorized photo of the inside of All She Wrote]
Photo of seven books laid out on a white sheet and white knit blanket. The books, from left to right, are: In The Blood by April Henry Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History by Hazel Newlevant Our Secret Summer by R. S. Grey Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen How to Love You When You're Gone by Gabriela Gonzales The Neon Sky by Alyssa Villaire To The Stars and Back Volume Two by Peglo
Photo of the back cover of QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE. The blurbs read as follows: “Newlevant weaves together memoir and history in this timely reminder that all of us are the beneficiaries of generations that have fought for our human rights for centuries. Honest, informative and stylish, this book made me grateful for the activism of the past and gave me courage for the fights to come!” -MAIA KOBABE, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir “Hazel brings us a refreshing coming-out story wonderfully written and expressed as comic illustrations. They use well-researched historical references to coincide with their biographical narrative to create an engaging and educational story. This book belongs in every bookstore, library, and educational establishment, and in the hands of every queer kid.” -MO B. DICK, Drag King legend and executive director of Drag King History “Newlevant’s insightful and heartfelt exploration of evolving queer identities reminds us of our debt to courageous queers of the past, demonstrates the necessity of documenting our experiences, and warns that the battle for justice is never over.” -JENNIFER CAMPER, cartoonist and Queers & Comics Conference director “I was really drawn in by this book—it’s fascinating, heartfelt, beautifully illustrated, and a powerful reminder of the queer history that brought us here.” -LEWIS HANCOX, author of Welcome to St. Hell and Escape from St. Hell “Hazel Newlevant’s QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE is a tremendous graphic novel that combines queer history with Newlevant’s personal journey as a queer person to create a fun and accessible—yet still serious and rigorous—look at how history creates the possibilities and limitations we live in, with, and around. The result is a delightful introduction to many important moments in our history that’s never dry or pedantic.” -HUGH RYAN, author of The Women’s House of Detention
“Simultaneously laugh-out-loud and illuminating” PW [Publishers Weekly] PICKS [drawing from QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE, of the author (white, short pink hair) wearing a party hat and sunglasses in the shape of “BI”. They’re blowing on a party horn that goes “FWEEE!” And waving a bi flag and a rainbow flag.]
Me (white, skinny, androgynous, brown shag hair, wearing a pink shirt and a black mask with a coordinated mask chain) giving a talk at The Nonbinarian Bookstore. I’m gesturing at the projector screen, which shows the cover of my mini comic QUEER UPRISINGS and a promo image of the documentary BEFORE STONEWALL.
Me (white, androgynous, brown shag haircut, 30s) grinning and holding my graphic novel QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE. Streaks of rainbow are shining on me.
“This queer history illuminates the intimate and ongoing connection between the past and present, inviting readers to participate in self-reflection and discovery. An eager, curious, and vulnerable exploration of a complex topic.” [Illustration: The author sits casually on the floor, a book in hand, and a stack of books behind them. They have a laptop open, playing the documentary BEFORE STONEWALL. A tabby cat is rubbing her cheek on the edge of the laptop.]
“In both their personal and historical reflections, Newlevant embraces honesty and human complexity with open, gently humorous critique.” [Illustration: the author, slumped wearily, carries a bundle of red flags. They leave a trail of fallen red flags behind them. Author: “Too many red flags. I can’t keep up.”]
“The narrative flows back and forth, with natural, conversational segues connecting Newlevant’s memories of their youth to related historical context that primarily focuses on the U.S. and Europe.” [Illustration: the author points to a 1970s ad for Virginia Slims cigarettes. The ad has an old suffragette with a “VOTES FOR WOMEN” sign on top, and a cool ‘70s woman wearing pants and a jacket on the bottom. (The slogan for this ad campaign was “You’ve come a long way, baby.”) Author, looking skeptical: “The picture I’m trying to paint here is: gender roles are formed by economic conditions.”]
“The author then ventures into topics like mid-20th-century resistance against U.S. governmental discrimination, the evolution of medical transition and healthcare for transgender people, and shifting societal expectations around gender.” [Illustration: a white guy with blond hair and glasses, wearing a suit, asks: “Are you a homosexual?” Gay liberation icon Frank Kameny (a white guy with a long nose and balding hair, also wearing a suit) responds: “That question is irrelevant to my job performance. And furthermore, it’s none of your business.”]
“Using an anecdote about their first coming-out experience at age 12 as a springboard, Newlevant begins with a deep dive into the origins of labels for sexual identity in the West and the concept of coming out as a queer milestone.” [Illustration: A young Black fem with finger waves, opera gloves, and pearls, arms raised in celebration, stands in the center of an applauding group. On the right side, a newspaper headline reads “The Afro A[merican]: ‘31 Debutantes Bow at Local ‘Pansy’ Ball.”
“In this graphic narrative that blends the personal and historical, cartoonist Newlevant explores how queer people’s organizing and resisting have shaped their experiences and the evolution of their identity.” [Illustration: a tween version of the author (dark hair in a ponytail) looks excitedly at a trio of nuns with colorful makeup and beards. These are Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.]
QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE “An eager, curious, and vulnerable exploration of a complex topic.” —KIRKUS [Illustration: the author (white, short pink hair, androgynous) leads a sort of pride march, with participants ranging from the late 19th century to the present day.]
Release Party! Tuesday, May 12, at The Nonbinarian 1130 President St Brooklyn, NY “Making of The Book” Talk & Signing 7-8:30pm A Masks-Required Venue [Cover of “Queer and How We Got Here: A (Personal) History” by Hazel Newlevant] [background: a pink-and-blue colorized photo of the inside of The Nonbinarian Bookstore. A store mural saying “Everyone Deserves To See Themselves On The Shelf” is visible.]
Queer and How We Got Here BOOK TOUR! Release Party! May 12 - Brooklyn, NY The Nonbinarian - 7pm [Masks-required venue] May 29 - Somerville, MA All She Wrote - 6:30pm In conversation with Gretchen Felker-Martin [masks-required event] May 31 - Easthampton, MA - Comics N’More - 4pm [masks-required venue] June 4 - New York, NY - McNally Jackson Seaport - 7pm - “Queer History and Ancestors” panel June 6-7 - Toronto, Canada - TCAF - Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm June 13 - Portland, OR - BwPCon - 11am-7pm [outdoor event] June 16 - Portland, OR Always Here Books - 6:30pm In conversation with Shay Mirk [masks-required venue] June 29 - Washington, DC Fantom Comics - 6:30pm [masks-required event] [cartoon self-portrait of me, pulling a suitcase and flashing a peace sign. I’m a white, androgynous person with a brown shag haircut, wearing a ZiMi mask, pink denim jacket, red shirt, gray jeans, and moto boots]
Photo of the back cover of QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE. The blurbs read as follows: “Newlevant weaves together memoir and history in this timely reminder that all of us are the beneficiaries of generations that have fought for our human rights for centuries. Honest, informative and stylish, this book made me grateful for the activism of the past and gave me courage for the fights to come!” -MAIA KOBABE, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir “Hazel brings us a refreshing coming-out story wonderfully written and expressed as comic illustrations. They use well-researched historical references to coincide with their biographical narrative to create an engaging and educational story. This book belongs in every bookstore, library, and educational establishment, and in the hands of every queer kid.” -MO B. DICK, Drag King legend and executive director of Drag King History “Newlevant’s insightful and heartfelt exploration of evolving queer identities reminds us of our debt to courageous queers of the past, demonstrates the necessity of documenting our experiences, and warns that the battle for justice is never over.” -JENNIFER CAMPER, cartoonist and Queers & Comics Conference director “I was really drawn in by this book—it’s fascinating, heartfelt, beautifully illustrated, and a powerful reminder of the queer history that brought us here.” -LEWIS HANCOX, author of Welcome to St. Hell and Escape from St. Hell “Hazel Newlevant’s QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE is a tremendous graphic novel that combines queer history with Newlevant’s personal journey as a queer person to create a fun and accessible—yet still serious and rigorous—look at how history creates the possibilities and limitations we live in, with, and around. The result is a delightful introduction to many important moments in our history that’s never dry or pedantic.” -HUGH RYAN, author of The Women’s House of Detention
Video of me (white androgynous person with a shag haircut and a pink patterned shirt) opening up boxes of my new graphic novel QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE. I’m sitting on the floor in my office, with various house plants and illustrations in the background.
Why institutions resisted and why resistance has a hundred-year history The resistance to acknowledging airborne transmission has deep historical roots, and it was compounded by a set of pressures that, once named, are not difficult to understand. Institutional resistance can be traced to Charles Chapin, a prominent public health researcher in the early 20th century, who argued that contact and large-droplet transmission were the primary routes of respiratory infection. This is partly because airborne transmission is conceptually harder to control. Washing hands is easier than cleaning the air. Chapin’s framework became dogma. Measles and chickenpox (both airborne diseases) were officially described by most public health institutions as droplet diseases as late as 1985. The delay in recognizing their airborne transmission was approximately 70 years. The historical inertia is only part of the story. Layered on top of it are several distinct and compounding pressures, each one pulling institutions further from the evidence. You can dodge droplets, but aerosols filling a room demand something different and place more onus on systems and environments rather than individual responsibility: ventilation infrastructure, HVAC overhauls, systemic redesign of how buildings are built and operated.
Small red and green lettuce plants popping up around a snapdragon plant in a raised bed.
Photo of the setup of last year’s swap. Come Forever is in a garage space with an open-air front. On the table, there are runner bean and tomato starts, self-watering containers, baby succulents, and cuttings from various berry bushes. My partner Rubi (wearing a black KN95) and Come Forever organizer Exx (wearing a 3M Aura N95) are inside the space :)
[Event flyer is a photo of a fluffy black cat, rolling around on top of books called “The Container Gardener’s Bible” and “Containers,” with digital hand writing on top] Hazel presents: Plant & Seed Swap Saturday, April 11 2-5pm At COME FOREVER A masks-required mutual aid space 342 Hewes Brooklyn Seeds - cuttings - plants - supplies
Gretchen sitting at a kitchen table, doing a virtual book event using my laptop, propped up on a box of Canada Dry. A box labeled “basic lands” with a tree and a mountain is also visible on the table.
my icon: a stylized digital “ink” drawing of me in profile. it shows I have a pointy nose, a septum ring, a square jaw, dark eyebrows, and dark hair in a shag or mullet.
Barnes & Noble Premium & Rewards Members Online Exclusive 25% OFF UPCOMING BOOKS WITH CODE: PREORDER 25 [cover image of my graphic novel "QUEER AND HOW WE GOT HERE: A (PERSONAL) HISTORY"] [Pencil drawing of me pointing at the preorder code and saying "ooOOOoo!"]
Boon (fluffy black cat) rolling around on top of some books about container gardening on our patio
Video of me talking about Queer and How We Got Here, with pages from the graphic novel overlayed.
We can have safer indoor air! Released in 2023, ASHRAE 241 is a new ventilation standard,[65] designed based on infection risk modeling,[66] to reduce airborne disease transmission. It specifies a minimum clean air delivery rate (CADR) per person, measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). The more people, the more clean airflow needed! This clean air can come from outdoors, air purifiers, or an HVAC system with MERV-11 or better filters.[67] Conveniently, air purifiers are sold by CADR. Any space could hit these targets with enough purifiers and/or few enough people! Minimum for low-occupancy spaces: 350 cfm.[68] For group singing events, double these rates.[69] How much clean air? To meet ASHRAE 241[70] 20 cfm/person - Warehouse; Sorting, packing, light assembly. 30 cfm/person - Residential dwelling unit, Office, Prison Cell 40 cfm/person - Retail, Classroom, Healthcare exam room, Prison day room 50 cfm/person - Lobby, Residential common space, Healthcare resident room, Auditorium, Spectator Area, Place of Worship, Manufacturing 60 cfm/person - Food & bev. facilities, Transit waiting, Museum, Convention 70 cfm/person - Heathcare group treatment area, Healthcare patient room 80 cfm/person - Gym 90 cfm/person - Healthcare waiting room ASHRAE 241 works. Meeting this ventilation standard greatly reduces COVID spread. Example from a long-term care facility: % of resident rooms that met ASHRAE 241 ventilation standard % of residents and staff infected during the Nov 2020 COVID outbreak A/B Wing 2AB: 24% ASHRAE-241-compliant, 71% infected 5AB: 38% ASHRAE-241-complaint, 41% infected 7AB: 38% ASHRAE-241-compliant, 24% infected C wing 4C: 43% ASHRAE-241-compliant, 2% infected 5C: 86% ASHRAE-241-compliant, 4% infected 7C: 50% ASHRAE-241-compliant, 2% infected ASHRAE 241 isn't enforced anywhere...yet. But we don't have to wait to assess and improve our spaces! DIY air purifier made with cardboard and two PC fans: 88 cfm.[71] DIY box fan air purifier with five ME…
[COVID zine page 11] [bold, handwritten] Improving mask fit Pre-shaping the nose wire of your mask can improve its fit by 5 to 10x![50] 1. Flatten out nose wire. [drawing of hands flatting out the nose wire of a respirator mask] 2. Shape wire with fingers. [drawing of hands bending the nose wire into a shape with a bump in the middle and the ends slightly downturned, like a curly bracket but the middle is rounded instead of sharp. { ] 3. Smoosh onto face. [Drawing of a person with a respirator on, smushing it onto their face with their fingers at both sides of their nose bridge.] Fit factor is a measurement of how well a mask fits you. It estimates how much lower the concentration of external pollutants is, inside your mask. Respirators must have a fit factor of at least 100 to pass an OSHA fit test.[51] Adding a staple can close up a gap at the chin.[52] Medical tape at the edges is another option. If possible, fit test your mask after modifications! [Drawing of stapler and a cup-style respirator. The chin area has been tightened with a small pleat fold, secured with a staple.]