Planet Gender is a documentary and artistic project on gender and identity, based on personal stories and testimonies of gender-variant people within the broad continuum between the two classical gender boundaries: the feminine woman and the macho man.

The Planet Gender project was created by storyteller Estelle Slegers and photographer Marc De Clercq in 2003 under the wings of Tra Mundi vzw (Gent Belgium) and received the support of The Flemish Ministry of Equal rights amongst many other funders and help supportive organisations for which we are very gratefull.

Planet Gender aimed to break through several taboos concerning gender identity and gender roles and to give a more correct image of the gender diversity in our societies.

Gender-variant people are transgender, transsexual and intersexual persons and transvestites, people like you and me who gives themselves an own position within the continuum that reflects the gender diversity in our societies.

The 30+ testimonies and photographs were shown in a travelling exhibition. The main exhibitions where in Gent 2005 all over the city in 30 + different venues including City hall, art galleries, cultural and social centers, university, bars.... - and Maastricht Centre Céramique in 2006 at 15 + venues. On both occasions other artists were invited (local and in residence) to work, discuss and communicate with gender specialists and gender-variant people to make creations in the field of visual arts. Additionally photographers and journalists/writers meet to make portraits of gender-variant people. Infomoments - moviesceenings and discussions were organised alongside.

The Planet Gender exhibition went on traveling all over Belgium and Europe.. During those exhibitions Marc De Clercq put up a mobile portrait studio and questioned people on their Gender identtity... These My genderidentity portraits and text are also featured here.

In 2009 an educational package for secundary schools and website was launched ' Gender in the blender' initiated by the province of Flemish Brabant.

The Flemish Ministry of Equal rights highlighted both Planet Gender and Gender in the Blender as their important achievements on LGBT policy and education on the international LGBT conference in Brussels on Novemner 17 th 2010. The brochure was illustrated with the Planet gender portraits of Marc De Clercq

The Planet Gender stories can still be read www.planetgender.com in Dutch and this website remains static as many people find support in reading the stories and seeing these images.

Marc De Clercq continued working on gender issues in India where he spend many years portraing the Third Gender Hijra community.

Estelle Slegers went on working as a history researcher. Find her on www.travelintime.uk and www.newtraces.uk

Marc De Clercq can be found on www.picturetraveler.be and his old photo collection on

marcdeclercqcollection.wordpress.com/ or on instagram marcdeclercqcollection - picturetraveler

If you feel inspired by my pictures please do note that they are protected by copyright. © Marc De Clercq

If you would like to use them do contact me.

Planet Gender is made under the wings of Tra Mundi Vzw and is based in Belgium.