About Shameless

Shameless is an independent Canadian voice for people with marginalized genders. It’s a fresh alternative to typical teen magazines, packed with articles about arts, culture and current events, reflecting the neglected diversity of our readers’ interests and experiences. Grounded in principles of social justice and anti-oppression, Shameless aims to do more than just publish a magazine: we aim to inspire, inform, and advocate for young women and trans youth.

Shameless strives to practice and develop an inclusive feminism. We understand that many of the obstacles faced by young women and trans youth lie at the intersection of different forms of oppression, based on race, class, ability, immigration status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. As a grassroots magazine, we are committed to supporting and empowering young writers, editors, designers and artists, especially those from communities that are underrepresented in the mainstream media.

Proudly independent, Shameless is a grassroots magazine produced by a team of volunteer staff members.

Each issue of Shameless entertains and inspires with profiles of amazing women, discussion of the hot topics that concern you most, DIY guides to crafty activities, sports dispatches, the latest in technology, columns on food politics, health & sexuality, advice and more.

Shameless has been making waves since its launch in June 2004. That year, Shameless was named Best New Magazine by Toronto alt-weekly NOW and nominated for two Utne Independent Press Awards (Best New Title and Best Design). In 2005, Shameless won an Utne award for Best Personal Life Writing. We were nominated again in 2006, for Lifestyle coverage. In 2005, cover story “Making The Cut” was nominated for a National Magazine Award.

Published three times a year, Shameless is available in independent bookstores and Chapters/Indigo locations across Canada and select locations in the United States.

Shameless gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council through its Publishing Projects grants.

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  • Sheila Sampath, Editorial and Art Director

    Sheila Sampath (she/her/they/them) is an artist, educator and an activist designer who has been crafting creative for social good since 2003. She is the former chair of the board at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multi-cultural Women Against Rape and has a background in grassroots activism and organizing, which she incorporates into her strategic and participatory approach to graphic design and trauma-informed popular education as Principal and Creative Director at The Public and assistant professor of Alternative and Speculative Practices at OCAD University. Sheila holds a diploma in Graphic Design from the George Brown School of Design and an Honours BSc. in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Toronto. She has lectured internationally on community-centred creative praxis, alternative media, and anti-oppressive work. Her first book, Letters Lived, was published by Three O’Clock Press in the fall of 2013, and she is currently working on her second book on art, design and community self-determination.

    Contact Sheila at: sheila@shamelessmag.com

  • Jean Boampong, Features Editor

    Jean Boampong is a Communications Specialist from Toronto. She is an advocate for digital justice, media literacy and community power. Jean enjoys music, snacks, travelling and great music. When she’s not working, she’s planning her next vacation.

    Contact Jean at: jboampong@shamelessmag.com

  • Nedda Sarshar, Columns Editor

    Nedda Sarshar (she/her) is an Iranian-Canadian writer who loves writing about diasporas, identity-crisis’ and star-crossed lovers. As Shameless’ Columns Editor she wants to provide a platform for ideas that provide a nuanced perspective on intersectional topics, and loves working with writers who see themselves represented in the issues that are being discussed. Her writing has been shorted-listed for the New Quarterly’s Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest, long-listed for Room Magazine’s short-form contest, and has been published in places like Huffpost Canada and This Magazine. When she’s not writing, she loves watching independent films with her grandma and scoping out new places to eat in North York.

    Contact Nedda at: nsarshar@shamelessmag.com

  • Rayne Fisher-Quann, Arts Editor

    Rayne Fisher-Quann is a writer and editor from unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) territories (also known as Vancouver). She’s passionate about feminism, punk music, the internet, and all the ways they intersect with each other! By day, she works as a music journalist and content creator.

    Contact Rayne at: rfisherquann@shamelessmag.com

  • Cindy Ly, Reviews Editor

    Cindy (she/her) spends her days working in the Canadian publishing industry. Her love of books began at a young age and has grown exponentially as she’s gotten older, as has her never-ending TBR list. An intersectional feminist of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, she advocates for greater diversity, inclusion, and equity in all media-related industries. When she’s not reading, you’ll find her daydreaming of travel or food, usually both. Cindy holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University (Ryerson) University and a B.A. in Political Science and Law from the University of Calgary.

    Contact Cindy at: cly@shamelessmag.com

  • Beena Mistry, Web Art Director

    Beena Mistry is an Indian, non-binary illustrator based in Toronto. Their practice focuses on projects that involve community building and promoting the well-being of under-served communities. They also do zines and comics sometimes and really likes the colour yellow. And their #1 goal in life is to illustrate a Pokémon TCG Card.

    Contact Beena at: bmistry@shamelessmag.com

  • Andi Schwartz, Blog Editor

    Andi Schwartz (she/her) is a writer, editor, and acafemmeic. Her writing has been published in Xtra, Flare, Herizons, This, Shameless, Broken Pencil and more. She is also a Scorpio sun and Carly Rae Jepsen enthusiast. Andi is from the country but now lives in Toronto with her dogs.

    Contact Andi at: aschwartz@shamelessmag.com

  • Isabel Armiento, Blog News Editor

    Isabel Armiento (she/her) is a Toronto-based writer and book club facilitator. You can almost always find her lounging around with a good book (or else in a mosh pit, there’s really no in-between). Things she loves include print journalism, punk music, sitcoms, and anything pink and/or sparkly. You can check out her writing in This magazine, Upping the Anti, The Home Pitch, and elsewhere.

    Contact Isabel at: iarmiento@shamelessmag.com

  • Jackie Mlotek, Blog Editor

    Jackie Mlotek (she/they) is a writer and library assistant currently based in Southern Ontario. She has a Bachelor’s of Social Work from X University, and is currently studying to be a Library & Information Technician. Their writing can be found in Quill & Quire, Shameless, and FEELS Zine, amongst other publications. You can usually find her sipping an iced coffee at any given moment. She is obsessed with feminist poetry, creative non-fiction, essays, comics, mutual aid, ecology, politics, mythology, pop culture, memes, astrology, video games, and so much more.

    Get in touch with pitches for everything under the sun at jmlotek@shamelessmag.com!

    Contact Jackie at: jackiemlotek@shamelessmag.com

  • Sadaf Ahsan, Blog Editor

    Sadaf Ahsan is a Toronto-based arts and culture writer and editor. She is a staff writer at The Juggernaut by day, and co-host of Frequency Podcasts’ The Reheat and blog editor at Shameless Magazine by night. Her work has appeared in The Cut, Refinery29, Flare, and Chatelaine. She previously worked at the Canadian Press, The Discourse, NOW Magazine, and the National Post. She dreams of living a life Nora Ephron would be proud of.

    Contact Sadaf at: sahsan@shamelessmag.com

  • Naz Afsahi, Board Member

    Naz Afsahi (she/they) is a 1.5 generation West Asian-Canadian settler with over a decade of experience in Tkaronto, supporting artistic creation and operations as the managing director of a not-for-profit theatre. Her personal and professional work in the world is grounded in intersectional feminist principles, in social justice and anti-oppression. They are particularly interested in how power operates and who is afforded the privilege to speak from a place of authority (often in contrast to those with lived experiences), with an understanding that there are numerous obstacles faced by individuals, and that these obstacles meet at the convergences of different forms of oppressions, including but not limited to race, class, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status and age.

    Contact Naz at: nafsahi@shamelessmag.com

  • Nicole Cohen, Co-Founder and Board Member

    Nicole Cohen is the co-founder and former co-editor and co-publisher of Shameless. She is currently an assistant professor in the Institute of Communication, Culture and Information Technology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. You can learn about Nicole’s research, writing and teaching at http://nicolescohen.com.

    Contact Nicole at: nicole@shamelessmag.com

  • Melinda Mattos, Co-Founder and Board Member

    When Melinda was a teenager, the mainstream media tried to convince her that her breasts were too small, her brain was too big and her life would be incomplete if she didn’t have a boyfriend. In her twenties, she fought back by launching Shameless, a fiercely independent teen magazine. Melinda has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University and has worked as a writer, editor and producer at The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Eye Weekly, Strategy and TVOntario. She currently works at George Brown College.

    Contact Melinda at: melinda@shamelessmag.com