Over and over in these essays we see women striving to understand themselves, to explore their sexual selves, and to find their own truth. Up until now, we’ve heard from women who do not question their womanness.

But just as sexual orientation can be fluid, so can gender.

Gender identity goes beyond the physical. It’s the way we perceive ourselves on a spectrum from maleness to femaleness.

When gender—the truth of how we view ourselves—does not map to physical traits, the task of coming into our own as sexual beings can be much more challenging, as you’ll see in Alex’s story.