Catherine Gigante-Brown

I was 21 –– a Catholic, heterosexual college student, living at home in Brooklyn and still trying to discover who I was. At the crossroads of her life, Lorde knew exactly who she was. She was waging a war against cancer and sharing an old house in Staten Island with her kids and partner. But maybe we weren’t so different after all.

Content Notice: Death

Once upon a time, it was easier to keep track of gender. Today, not so much — the lines are blurred. For many, gender’s not so much about questioning your own identity as it is about questioning the very nature of identity.

At first, I felt like an abandoned ten-year-old, dropped off at a remote summer camp—with the extra added attraction of no cell phone reception or Wi-Fi. I thought the hardest part of the weekend was going to be picking out a robe. Boy, was I wrong!

The office cubicle is indeed a strange bird. Here's how to survive life in a box without driving you—or your office mates—crazy.

8. Educate, don’t fixate.

When David was about 12, he told me that he wanted to take the train to school alone. My gut reaction was, “No way in hell!” I mean, we live in a safe neighborhood and all, but David has ADHD and was easily distracted. What if he missed his stop? What if someone messed with him?

“It’s almost as though this niche was patiently waiting for us to find it.”

I try. I really do. But whenever I attempt to embrace my husband Peter’s Cuban culture, I always screw up.

You learn a lot about people when you live in their home. The Taylors seemed to lead a joyless, Spartan existence.