THEY CALL US FLOOZIES
now live
Women exploring their bodies and sexuality has always been coated in shame. Any work to perfect our image and sexual viability should appear effortless and done with the sole intention of pleasing men. We should want only men, and live for their pleasure. When we want pleasure for ourselves, when we are too liberated, we are labeled as floozy, promiscuous and loose. But it is not loose morals that make skirts short or pictures too thirsty, it is freedom. It is gender minorities boldly claiming our desires, our joy, and our pleasure. They Call Us Floozies explores the freedom in claiming our sexual energy and liberation. We are embracing ourselves.
THEY CALL US CATTY
now live
Women’s anger carries a certain social stigma. If we vent, we gossip. If we complain, we bitch. If we get sassy, we get catty. Yet, throughout history, gossip and catty remarks have been a means of reclaiming power, from outing dangerous men in charge to giving side eye to whoever wore white to my best friend’s wedding. Unfortunately, that same anger can be directed toward each other. We were all raised in a misogynistic society and sometimes we weaponize our anger and are taught sexism to harm our fellow women. They Call Us Catty is a place for gender minorities to let out their claws, challenge the stigma of our anger, and explore the complexities of our relationships.
THEY CALL US
FLOOZIES
Women exploring their bodies and sexuality has always been coated in shame. Any work to perfect our image and sexual viability should appear effortless and done with the sole intention of pleasing men. We should want only men, and live for their pleasure. When we want pleasure for ourselves, when we are too liberated, we are labeled as floozy, promiscuous and loose. But it is not loose morals that make skirts short or pictures too thirsty, it is freedom. It is gender minorities boldly claiming our desires, our joy, and our pleasure. They Call Us Floozies explores the freedom in claiming our sexual energy and liberation. We are embracing ourselves.
submissions open
THEY CALL US murderers
now live
On June 24, 2022, the supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade and limited access to safe healthcare across the country. They call us murderers for making the hard choice of protecting our bodies and futures. There is a myriad of reasons why people might choose to get an abortion, and this edition aims to tell those stories.
THEY CALL US EVE
now live
From sinful witches to miracle bearing mothers, women hold an essential role in religious texts. They Call Us Eve will explore the roles women hold in religions from around the world. We accept analysis, retellings, and creative depictions of how you see these women emboldened in spiritual status. Let’s talk about what Eve started.
THEY CALL US murderers
On June 24, 2022, the supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade and limited access to safe healthcare across the country. They call us murderers for making the hard choice of protecting our bodies and futures. There is a myriad of reasons why people might choose to get an abortion, and this edition aims to tell those stories.
THEY CALL US BATTERED is live!
Domestic violence is a pandemic in of itself. It has infected communities and cultures around the world. Mainly women are subjected to abuse and all too often fear for their lives, but when the new stories come out, women are called one thing: “battered”. We are so much more than what abusers inflict on us. We have lessons to share, images to portray, and stories to tell.
THEY CALL US MATRONS is live!
From the moment little girls are born, they are told that one day they will be a mother. We are given dolls to mimic our future children and pressured to design our careers around kids. Mothers are held to the highest standards imaginable — standards that are impossible to meet. And for so many of us this motherhood is undesirable, unfeasible, or covered in complications. When did this one gift become our sole purpose? They Call Us Matrons will explore women’s experience with motherhood, societal pressures, what we’ve come to find makes a “good mother”, and the ripple effects of not meeting them.
THEY CALL US BATTERED
art and writing submissions now closed
Domestic violence is a pandemic in of itself. It has infected communities and cultures around the world. Mainly women are subjected to abuse and all too often fear for their lives, but when the new stories come out, women are called one thing: “battered”. We are so much more than what abusers inflict on us. We have lessons to share, images to portray, and stories to tell.
THEY CALL US BRIDEZILLAS
Before it was about religion or love, marriage was about the purchase of a woman. Centuries have gone by and women’s rights progressed, but to what extent? This edition unpacks the patriarchal history, heteronormative traditions, and societal pressures of weddings past while discussing how modern women view weddings and its place in love today. They call us Bridezillas, while we ask what torment made monsters of the bride to be.
THEY CALL US DAMSELS
When men tell our stories we become nothing but side characters. We are written as quiet, meek, trapped in a tower and waiting to be saved - but we know better. We see the Joan of Arc in our day to day lives and we find ways to tell her story. So, they call us damsels? We rewrite the stories and this time we play the heroes.
A REVIEW FROM SPINE MAGAZINE
by Caroline Kurdej
Every seasonal edition of They Call Us features a new adjective. Fall, “They Call Us Witches.” Winter, “They Call Us Bossy.” Year-round, They Call Us empowers.
This literary magazine is spellbinding—particularly the Fall edition. Magic happens when womxn gather, bewitching all with creative storytelling mediums of media, art, and literature.
The spooky edition features images of witches’ silhouettes glimmering in violet hues, brooms, and eerie candles casting light on the backdrop of darkness. Even the table of contents gleams under the bright constellations of the stars above.
Visit our Media page to read the full review or click below to see the full SPINE Review.
COVID-19 AND BLACK LIVES MATTER
A statement on what isn't written but must be discussed
Our first edition was drafted and planned in mid-March, right before the COVID-19 global pandemic officially put the United States on lockdown. Our launch for They Call Us Theirs was, for a lot of our staff, the last event attended before we began social distancing from the rest of the world.
While social distancing, we were rattled by the news of George Floyd and public cries to abolish the police. Though the murder of black people in police custody hasn’t stopped since Black Lives Matter launched in 2012, the death of George Floyd reignited the conversation. Police brutality and systemic racism have always been on the minds of Bipoc (black, indigenous, and people of color), but recently it has been brought to the forefront for everyone. Though we were already in the final stages of planning this edition, cabin fever and general anxiety over the state of the world encouraged our staff to take more action in the fight for equality.
Although They Call Us Flawed does not directly address the pandemic or police brutality, it is still there in the background. Some artists struggled with inspiration because of the mental burden of COVID and fear for their safety.
Even though COVID-19 is the prominent factor in our lives, our fight is not forgotten. Feminism is not just about gender equality, but equality for all races, ethnicities, abilities, and people. For more direct resources to aid with COVID and/or protest-related anxiety, follow us on Instagram @They.Call.Us.
COVEN CONGRESS
What is a Coven Congress? Why do we have them? How can you get involved?
The concept of a witch originated from a societal fear and hatred of independent women. Any woman who dared to challenge societal order, to not have children, to take up work outside the home, to think for herself was tortured and burned. Though the punishment is less explicit, the hatred of the witch remains. In defiance of this stigma, we are reclaiming the word. We are witches and the Coven Congress is our little sabbath. For each edition, we gather witches from all walks of life to talk about our experiences, opinions, and ideas. Next, we let the discussion inspire content included in They Call Us. Coven Congress allows us to amplify the voices of a variety of women so the world can hear and learn from our tales.
If you are interested in attending the next coven congress, please contact us.
DONATE TO THE ZINE
They Call Us is a completely nonprofit Artistic collective. All donations will go to printing costs for our contributing writers and artists. This is a passion project for our team, so any money we receive goes straight back to the zine. For more info or to donate, visit our page on Patreon.