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Lena Dunham's sister opens up about gender identity issues in new docu-series

Written by . Published: September 23 2016

Actress Lena Dunham's sister Grace and singer Christina Perri are sharing their body insecurities on camera for a new docu-series about self-acceptance and gender identity.


Writer Grace, 24, opens up about her personal battles as part of The What's Underneath Project, in which nine people talk about coming to terms with body image and gender issues while removing items of clothing.


Grace, who came out as a lesbian at the age of 17, admits she has struggled with gender issues, confessing on camera, "I think at this phase in my life, there's a particular weight on gender and trying to adequately communicate (that) I'm not a woman, but I'm not a man.


"I'm like, 'I don't know if I want to be a man. I don't know if I want to take hormones. I don't know if I want to get top surgery. I don't know if I'm a woman'. Like, when am I going to f**king figure it out? When am I going to get there?


"I think I was really confused. I was like, 'But I am having sex with women? I'm out. Everyone knows I'm a lesbian. What is this feeling I am having? Why am I still feeling a lot of shame? Why do I still hate my body...? I have moments where I am starting to get dressed and I just start to cry."


Jar of Hearts singer Perri also appears in The What's Underneath Project, talking about the stage fright she suffered at the beginning of her career and her battle to get sober.


"Do I have difficulty feeling that I'm beautiful? Yeah," Perri says. "But I love myself in all different ways too. I'm allowing myself to have this journey to be OK with who I am right now, and then be open and then allow love in."

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