By The Catcall Team

As we set our hopes and goals for a new year, looking back at how far we came over the last year is a must. At Catcall, we took a walk down memory lane and picked out our favorite stories from 2023. This year, we catcalled systemic issues, elevated diverse creators and entrepreneurs, hosted our first public event, and shared all of our best tips for taking care of your mental health and fostering a healthy—and pleasurable—sex life. Take a look!

Can we not publish a coloring book romanticizing domestic abuse?

By Emily Laptad

In January 2023, romance author Colleen Hoover made the odd choice to release a coloring book for the “romance” book she wrote about domestic violence, and we had some thoughts about Hoover’s audacity. After strong public outrage, the coloring book was pulled for its release date—and this story was mentioned in a Cosmopolitan article reacting to fans who weren’t so happy about Blake Lively starting a film based on the same book.

Diversify your feed: follow disabled influencers

By Nicole Mitchell

How many disabled influencers do you follow? If you can’t think of any, here are some of our ideas. We tend to follow people we relate to, but following diverse creators allows us to see perspectives from people who don’t look or act like us. Disabled people aren’t “brave” or “inspiring” for existing, and we hope that following more diverse influencers will help us break down those thoughts and realize that disabled people are just people.

What I keep in my on-the-go anxiety kit

By Emily Laptad

This one’s for our pals with anxiety and/or panic disorders—or even readers going through a particularly stressful time or experience. When anxiety hits in public it can feel particularly overwhelming and having a small grab bag of anti-anxiety items at the ready can help alleviate some of that discomfort. Check out what our managing editor, Emily Laptad, keeps in her on-the-go anxiety kit and learn a few tips to create a kit that works for your needs.

Know your options—a guide to choosing the right birth control for you

By Nicole Mitchell
Art by Kelcie McKenney

Finding the perfect birth control for you is difficult. There are so many options, each with different side effects, lengths of efficacy, and more, so we set out to better define all the types of birth control you can use. If you’re struggling to find a new birth control, just starting, or straight-up curious, we want to help you make an informed decision. We already did the basic research so you don’t have to.

Capitalism is the abusive relationship we can’t leave

By Max Sheffield-Baird
Art by Whitney Young

If you read one line from this April 2023 Catcall story, let it be this one: “The more I process my own history of abusive relationships and walk the path of healing, the less I have allowed anyone to control my life or treat me as subhuman. This shift in my own thinking has made me realize that this mindset is incompatible with being a willing participant in capitalism.” Staff writer Max Sheffield-Baird walks us through the toxicity that has so naturally permeated modern society and how we approach our lives in the workplace, and their words are so worth the read.

Emily Kate on facing addiction and opening an alcohol-free bar one step at a time

By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young

When Emily Kate started bartending at 21, it didn’t take long for her to start dreaming of opening her own bar one day. Years later, she’s journeyed to sobriety, but that didn’t squash her dreams to open a bar—instead, those dreams morphed into a concept that matched an alcohol-free lifestyle. With many people switching over to an alcohol-free lifestyle, Kate found success in her NA bar concept—learn more about her journey to sobriety and where you can find her shaking up NA cocktails.

Meghann Henry’s Tool For Leading What If Puppets? Diversity Is Key.

By Sophia-Joelle Oswald
Photos by Travis Young

Meghann Henry stepped into a man’s legacy and made it her own when she joined What if Puppets just a few years ago. What started as a team of three has grown to 11 team members led by Henry who are making a large impact on the Kansas City community. While Meghann has moved on from her time at What If Puppets, her impact on the local nonprofit stands.

Screaming your way to a spiritual awakening

By Erin Gabriel

Candice Wells screams for a living As the owner and facilitator of Screamwerk in Denver, Colo., Candice is a breathwork facilitator, energy worker, yoga teacher, and entrepreneur who guides individuals to scream their way to a spiritual awakening. The process can help individuals go deeper into their meditation and breathing pattern—often facilitating letting go of emotions, sensations, and pain they’ve been holding on to. Plus it reduces tension and triggers endorphins.

But I’m a Comedian, a sexy variety show and Barrier Babes fundraiser

By The Catcall Team

As an organization, one of our biggest accomplishments in 2023 took the form of our first public event. We partnered with the non-profit sex educators Barrier Babes and KC’s comedy and draglesque showcase, Body Language, to host a sold-out ‘But I’m a Comedian’ sexy variety show at the Crossroads Hotel. Complete with raffle prizes, a local vendor pop-up shop, themed drinks, and the variety show, the evening was a smashing success—and we raised over $1500 for Barrier Babes!

Why we need more of the female gaze in Hollywood

By Ayanna Smith
Art by Maddy Best

If you type “male gaze” into the search bar on Twitter or TikTok, you’ll be met with thousands of hot takes on the issue. From videos questioning whether a new TV show really gives depth to the female protagonist to explanations of why a beloved 90s film is actually super misogynistic, they all call for more media that showcases the female gaze. Our go-to film writer, Ayanna Smith, dives into what that means and what to watch for a female gaze POV.

The rise of romance with Lawrence Librarian Polli Kenn

By Kelcie McKenney

Here at Catcall, most of our staff reads a lottt of romance novels—but it’s not just our thing. The romance genre has skyrocketed to mainstream popularity over the last few years and it’s a trend that libraries and bookshops are all over. We chatted about some of our favorite romance authors, the feminism behind the genre, and of course, book recs with Lawrence Librarian Polli Kenn.

Your guide to women and non-binary tattoo artists in Kansas City

By The Catcall Team
Photos by Whitney Young and Travis Young

Tattoos are one of the ultimate forms of self-expression. At Catcall, we’re partial to our gals and non-binary pals in the Kansas City metro who get us—and what we’re looking for in a tattoo. So, we made a guide to all the female and non-binary tattoo artists in the KC metro we could track down. Keep this guide in your back pocket for the next time you’re in the mood to plan a new tattoo.

A first-timer’s guide to butt stuff

By The Barrier Babes (Katie Harbinson & Maddie Womack)

In 2023, we partnered with Barrier Babes to launch Call the Babes, our sex education series that teaches safe, healthy sex and covers the topics we weren’t taught about in school. Anal has been a thing for forever. We know this, but the topic is too often viewed as taboo. But the Babes believe knowledge is power, and with this simple guide to anal, we hope to reduce or quiet the hesitation around the subject with a little bit of education.

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By The Catcall Team. Check us out on our About Us page.