The struggles people have with their identities are often related to how society thinks they should act within the bounds of their specific gender. People often overlook these issues, but I wanted to delve into the meaning of gender to individuals and their self-identities. By breaking past the norms of gender, I open up a conversation with my models about their true selves. I want my viewers to look at my images and think about how gender roles might not only affect the people in the pictures, but how they might affect people in their daily lives. With my personal connection to many people in the GLBTQA community who struggle with their gender and sexual identity every day, I thought I could bring their stories and experiences into my photographs and give people something to think about.