THE G WORD aims to use stories to challenge restrictive gender norms and create an atmosphere of acceptance. Users first encounter several clusters of small circles, each of which represents a personal story about gender norms. Two short videos produced by Breakthrough, the global human rights organization behind THE G WORD, set the tone for the project and present individuals’ experiences of gender, such as a college athlete’s fear of coming out as gay. Each video ends with the phrase “Gender norms divide us. Stories unite us.”

As users explore the website, they can comment on or share stories. They are also invited to add their own stories—as text, audio, image, or video—to the project, choosing between THE G WORD‘s main themes: our bodies, our childhoods, our families, our jobs, our relationships, and our school days. When submitting a story, users are prompted to explain what happened to them, how it changed them, and what their vision is for a better future. They can also select specific topic tags for their story, such as emotional abuse, consent, classism, and asexuality. As the number of stories grows, so does the range of experiences represented by the project. Through this network of personal stories, THE G WORD breaks down barriers around the sensitive subject of gender and encourages users to expand their points of view.