the god Thor dressed up as Freyja, with artificial breasts, a necklace (Brísingamen) and a keychain. Loki, also dressed as a woman, is fixing up Thor's headgear.

That Time Thor and Loki Cross-Dressed

Why the Old Norse gods disguised themselves as a bride and bridesmaid before visiting Thrymr, king of Jötunheima.
Mathilde “Missy” de Morny

The Cross-Dressing Superstar of the Belle Époque

Mathilde de Morny's commitment to a masculine aesthetic and a non-traditional lifestyle in nineteenth-century France challenged the boundaries of gender identity.
Ralph Kerwineo, 1914

Introducing Ralphero Kerwineo

He just wanted to live an honest life.
Sixteenth century portrait painting of Caterina Sforza

Did Caterina Sforza Flash an Army?

According to legend, Sforza lifted her skirts to show her adversaries that she had the body parts to make more children. But why?
Libyan Sibyles by Michelangeo

Delts Don’t Lie

Renaissance artists routinely used men as models for their depictions of female subjects, yet only the musculatures of Michelangelo tell that story.
A Victorian boy and girl excitedly welcoming their father home, while their mother stands and watches

How Government Helped Create the “Traditional” Family

Since the mid-nineteenth century, many labor regulations in the US have been crafted with the express purpose of strengthening the male-breadwinner family.
Baby Drew, 1913

Boys in Dresses: The Tradition

It’s difficult to read the gender of children in many old photos. That’s because coding American children via clothing didn’t begin until the 1920s.
Hijras (transgender) dance as they get ready backstage before the Hijra talent show, part of the first ever event called Hijra Pride 2014, on November 10, 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Gender in the History Classroom

High school teachers sometimes struggle to teach about ways different societies have conceptualized gender. Here’s a look at a few practical approaches.
The Wrangel Island Expedition team in 1921: Ada Blackjack, Allan Crawford, Lorne Knight, Fred Maurer, Milton Galle, and Victoria the cat.

Women in the Age of Polar Exploration

Opportunities were restricted during the so-called Heroic Age, but women still dreamed of exploration...and sometimes managed to reach the polar regions.
Illustration of a woman walking in front of an overwhelming whirlpool in the sky

Overcoming the Gendered Pain Gap

More women than men experience chronic pain, and that pain is often dismissed in clinical settings. Can a new approach to language and close listening help?