OUR MISSION STATEMENT
They Call Us is a literary magazine created by powerful people wanting to empower gender minorities. Using media, art, and literature as a means to inspire, They Call Us wants to tell the everyday struggles of gender minorities from around the world. The purpose of art is to create change, so They Call Us works to unite writers and artists to tell the stories of those that are normally silenced. Our goal is to ignite conversation and encourage people of all ages, race, sexuality, nationality, ability, and the like to share their stories. They Call Us wishes to diversify the messages we see online and change the dialogue to give credibility to all of us who have felt helpless and lacking a credible voice.
MEET OUR TEAM
MORGAN KAIL-ACKERMAN
Designer
With a strong love for writing, Morgan has always been a storyteller. An avid reader, a passionate thespian, and an expressive dancer, Morgan is a well-rounded and driven artist. With all the political turmoil and hurt in the world, she felt she had to do something to help others, and decided she would try to speak out against injustice with the only tool she knew how to fight with - storytelling. Coming from a matriarchal all-female family in Los Angeles, she quickly became an outspoken feminist with a want to produce art that could create change and bring some kind of equality to the world.
KAILAH PETERS (KP)
Editor & Treasurer
Growing up as a black queer woman in the south, KP felt small and silenced. She moved up to Chicago for college and discovered the potential art has to shape society. She is still small, but never quiet. With poetry as her medium, KP uses her poignant writing to question identity, human connection, and social order in her endeavor to create a better world. She joined They Call Us to amplify other minority voices and develop a space for literary activists to work together. KP hopes this project sparks dialogue and leads to great changes.
MEG HARRIS
Communications
Meg's devotion to womxn’s rights grew with her age as she learned about how many rights womxn are too often withheld. Idealistic as it may be, Meg is someone who holds hope that politics can be an effective avenue for change. She has strived to be a foot soldier for womxn’s rights on the political battlefield by co-organizing the Chicago Period Rally and co-founding Power of World Women. Meg was approached by the other members to join They Call Us and could not be more thankful. Her inspiration for this work stems from historical movements. Change is possible because throughout history we’ve seen it happen before and she believes their work here can help it happen again.
ASKO SKLADANY
Illustrator
Growing up in a straight-laced corner of suburbia, Asko has been drawing for as long as they can remember. Now an animation and game design student in Chicago, they have fallen in love with using their art to express not only their own experiences but to amplify the voices of other creatives; voices that they didn't get the chance to hear growing up. When they were approached to join the They Call Us team as an illustrator, they were excited to share their passion with like-minded feminists. In today's climate, it is vital to empower and encourage female creatives to share their stories - especially those of non-white, queer, and disabled womxn - in order to carve out a space in a world designed to silence us.