Whilst people these days are relatively comfortable thinking about their sexuality, the debate about gender – how we perceive ourselves within the traditional black-and-white distinction between female and male – can often be just as important. We are understanding more about how same-sex friendships can include a range of intimacies, while female-male partnerships can vary enormously in the way sex roles are played out. This all means that gender is increasingly being redefined as a spectrum of choices about how we define ourselves and our relationships.

It’s easy to imagine that gender exploration is just something for young people as they work out who they are, but that would be missing important opportunities for older people to think carefully about who they are, how they relate, and how they want to live with and around others. Indeed, relative freedom from work and parenting can provide great opportunities to explore possibilities when there wasn’t the time earlier in our lives.

Now is the time to ask important questions like who am I, who do I feel comfortable around, how do I express my gender, and is my sexual orientation limiting my life choices? For some people this offers the chance to understand why they have never been fully comfortable in the body or role they were born into, for others there may be a sense that they do not easily identify with traditionally-defined male or female but are not sure how to explain and explore their gendered self.

Have you ever questioned your own gender identity? Do you know somebody who is transgender or who identifies as non-binary? Do you ever feel confused when people talk about gender diversity? Do you wish you could explore your own gender-related choices, like what you wear and what activities you want to be involved in? Now is your chance to explore and share!