The start of the school year finds Gabbie, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, comfortable with being out as a male-to-female transgender person. Lucas, a neuroscience major at Smith College in Massachusetts, is weighing his options on medical treatments as a female-to-male transgender person. Graduate student and Fullbright scholar T.J. attends Michigan State University where he is out as a female-to-male transgender person and political activist, but comes from Cyprus where his family and community know him as Tamar. California State University, Los Angeles student Raci struggles with coming out as a male-to-female transgender person and keeps her identity a secret from her fellow students.

On a visit back home to Oklahoma, Lucas reveals his feelings about his gender to his mother. Raci, back in Los Angeles, tries to locate a cheap source for the sex hormones she has been using illegally. In Colorado, Gabbie makes final plans for her sex-reassignment surgery.

At the University of Colorado, Gabbie is so apprehensive about her upcoming sex reassignment surgery that she neglects her schoolwork. In California, Raci goes home to visit her mother. Elsewhere, T.J. and Lucas both write letters home to explain their feelings and decisions to their parents.

At Smith College, Lucas passes an important milestone by obtaining his first prescription for substitute sex hormones. Gabbie leaves her Colorado campus to visit her grandparents and see a minister. T.J. plans a trip home to Cyprus. Raci goes to her cousin's elaborate birthday party.

In Massachusetts, Lucas makes preparations to defend his thesis, but is affected by campus politics. In California, Raci's poor class attendance starts to worry her professors. In Colorado, Gabbie has to decide how to dress for her first racy party. At Michigan State, T.J. is excited by the prospect of a romantic relationship with another student.

In Michigan, T.J. decides to bring some of his friends along when he goes to meet his girlfriend's parents. At California State, Raci attends an open meeting for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Gabbie's behavior after a close friend undergoes surgery is cause for discussion. Lucas reaches a turning point in his relationship with his friend Kasey.

In Colorado, Gabbie's parents throw her a dinner party on the day before her sexual reassignment surgery. Los Angeles student Raci decides to ask for help in obtaining hormones, and later takes part in a transgender biking event. In Michigan, T.J. prepares for his trip home to Cyprus and a long-delayed reunion with his mother.

Having returned home to Cyprus, T.J. has a long-delayed conversation with his mother. On the eve of his graduation from Smith College, Lucas has an emotional get-together with his father over breakfast. Gabbie, her final decision made regarding sexual reassignment surgery, thinks toward her future. Finally, Raci waits to find out her grades and see if she will do well enough to keep her scholarship.