“I can't tell people my true sexual orientation because I'm too scared of judgement.” “I try to "act white" but still embrace the fact that I am a person of color because I do not want to be seen...

Studying abroad for a year in France, Alexis Reeves ponders Simone de Beauvoir's words, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” Reeves wonders, "How does one become a woman? I know the expectations. I’ve considered them carefully, though I can’t decide whether to follow them or not."

It’s the beginning of a school year, your teacher is reading off names, and they get yours wrong. And even though you remind them, it persists. If you’re new, many students might get your name wrong,...