The Alternative Factor (Star Trek fan club)

Fan Club
Name:	The Alternative Factor
Dates:	1982 or before
Founder(s):	Lana Brown (until 1984), then someone else (Julie Stigner was secretary in 1984)
Leadership:
Country based in:	New Zealand
Focus:	Star Trek: TOS
External Links:
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The Alternative Factor was a New Zealand Star Trek fan club.

From a 1982 ad in Communicator #4 "The official ST club of New Zealand -- we are into ST in all its aspects. Our newsletter, HAILING FREQUENCIES, gives members a monthly forum. NOME, our bi-monthly zine lets it all hang out."

Publications

• The Alternative Factor
• Nome
• Hailing Frequencies, newsletter

A Decision Regarding Same Sex Fanworks

In 1984, the editor of Communicator printed this exchange between herself and the leadership of this fan club:

The Alternative Factor (TAF) will not be used as a vehicle for the distribution of indecent literature. Indecent literature being any literature or publication containing sodomy, bestiality, sadism, and/or any other such sexual perversion. Our reasons for this stand that it is contrary to the laws of God and our country -- also customs officials here are quite harsh and there is such a thing as the "Indecent Publications Act' which prohibits the important of such literature.

As for letting our readers decide -- they already have! A while ago, there was an opinion poll within the club and the result, by a favourable majority, was the previous point.

New Zealanders are vastly different in their situation, their morals, and their beliefs and laws, to the Australians.

By past experience, most, if not all K/S zines are in direct conflict with the above. Only a very small minority are not. Those requiring age statements are "Adult" zines and are also in direct conflict with the above. Incidentally, most clubs d not require an age statement for the purchase of their zines. I have yet to come across a zine of the K/S nature and requiring an age statement that does not contain gross deviencies, thus the polite inquiry as to the subject matter of Locusts and Wild Honey should not be taken as an insult or be give as a cause for offense and I can assure you that there was no such intention. In New Zealand, it is advisable for anyone importing literature of any nature to be sure as to its subject content -- the last thing I want would be a customs battle with TAF or any of its members.