It’s A Journey - from community to the page.

It’s A Journey. has been a community-based journey, from inception to final print. We hope that through these pages you will be able to appreciate the transformative potential of participatory action health research. Our wish was to re-centre the voices and experiences of marginalised communities, not only to offer a more comprehensive understanding of their needs, but also to actively re-empower them in the pursuit of social and health justice. Working from a community perspective is more than a methodological necessity; it is a form of resistance against systemic oppression, a means of enduring in the face of discrimination, and a path toward collective thriving.

Through this work, we wish to reaffirm that true progress in health and social equity can only be achieved when communities are not just subjects of research, but active partners in shaping their futures.

It’s A Journey. is a piece of graphic medicine – a genre that blends the narrative power of graphic novels with the rigour of medical and health-related content. Graphic medicine is a revolutionary medium (not to mention extremely fun and engaging to work with!) because it translates complex and often inaccessible medical knowledge into emotionally resonant, relatable, and thus more understandable, content. By telling stories in images, we hope to engage people on a deeper level – one where clinical language often falls short in describing the complexity of such journeys of chronic illness and gender diversity.

As we have done with many projects at Treat it Queer, we have tried once again to bridge the gap between the world of academia and the communities that we study - and of which we are an active part of. Too often, research remains confined within the walls of academic institutions, inaccessible to those who could benefit most from its findings. This book is an attempt to counteract those extractive research practices by translating our findings into a more accessible format that brings the research back to the community. We believe that academic research should not just reside in journals or conference presentations but can and should be translated into creative media whose reach can extend far beyond the borders of academics.

But a picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, and so without further ado, please enjoy the story of Colt, as they navigate the intricacies, challenges, and triumphs of growing up, and of life as a gender-diverse person with endometriosis.

It’s A Journey.

Colt’s story is important, because it is an intimate revelation of a person grappling with the challenges of living (and loving) with a disabling, but invisible, disease.

MAAIKE MUNTINGA (SHE/THEY), MD, PHD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF ETHICS, LAW & MEDICAL HUMANITIES
AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

About the authors

Marginalisation is a heavy, insidious thing that crawls under our skin just as we learn to live with it. But we believe it can be a wellspring of creativity. It is, after all, in the margins that creative and unique self-expression arises, born of a need not just to survive, but to thrive.

This graphic novel intends to be an example of that creativity. This is a work born from the need to be seen and heard, to tell stories that matter, about bodies that matter, and to push against the boundaries that often keep these stories hidden and quiet. Our hope is that this book will not only inform and educate, but also inspire others to continue this work – to use creative media to bring marginalised voices not just to a seat at the table, but squarely at the heart of the conversation.

(SHE/HER)
ASIEL graduated from the International School of Comics in Italy with specialisations in both Comics (2019) and Scriptwriting (2020). She is also the founder of Spaghetti Publishing (2020), for which she creates or collaborates on many books as a scriptwriter, illustrator, and main editor. In 2020 she won her first prize for the “Tomorrow People” contest with her comic. ASIEL published with many indie publishers until, in 2022, she joined the agency Tomato Farm, became Art Director for ReWriters magazine in Rome, and started working as an editor for the Shockdom publishing house and as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. Since 2023, she has been working with schools, companies, and national and international organisations to publish books and illustrate projects for education and awareness in many social subjects, including but not limited to: environment, lgbtqia+ rights, accessibility, and different cultures. In her spare time, ASIEL returned to her alma mater and became a teacher at the International School of Comics.
Now, she’s opening her own company, teaching, and working on projects she feels passionate about, both personal and professional.

(THEY/THEM)
Maddalena Giacomozzi is a queer medical doctor, PhD candidate, and LGBT+ health advocate. With a background in international medicine and global health, they have dedicated their career to advancing sexual and reproductive health justice for marginalised communities. Their clinical work focuses on endometriosis and sexology, while their PhD research explores endometriosis among transgender and gender-diverse individuals. By integrating intersectionality and embodiment theories, their cross-disciplinary research challenges normative frameworks beyond the biomedical paradigm.
Maddalena’s research has been published in numerous academic journals and has been presented at a variety of festivals and conferences across Europe, engaging a wide audience spanning from academic researchers to queer community groups. Their press coverage includes interviews with Medisch Contact and TRANS Magazine.
Since 2021, they are the co-founder and president of the Treat it Queer Foundation, where they have led numerous projects aimed at promoting inclusivity and diversity within the healthcare profession. Through the Foundation they regularly deliver lectures and workshops on gender diversity in healthcare to both medical students and specialists.
Maddalena’s favourite colour is red.