JT LeRoy talks gender fluidity over at the Mindfield Literary Stage

With an introduction worthy of a discussion in and of itself, journalist Nadine O'Regan opened the coversation by detailing how Albert became one of modern literature's most influential figures by having fabricated a persona entirely: JT LeRoy.

Falsely diagnosed with HIV by the New York Times, in hindsight Albert suggested "Maybe [LeRoy] should have been HIV positive. It could have started a dialogue." Tackling the complexity of such a character, Albert called LeRoy an early example of "gender fluidity", a salient observation, which she aligned with the topic of sexuality today.

"I wanted to be a boy", she continued. LeRoy was her "disassociation having been abused. I distanced myself by telling stories. Being a boy was removed for me."