Callie and her parents are staying at a rundown hotel in New York. The length of their visit is undetermined; the specialist, Dr. Luce, will know more once he examines Callie. Once they’re in his office, they realize that they’re in uncharted territory: Dr. Luce deals exclusively with “Sexual Disorders and Gender Identity,” as the plaque on his door reads (406). His office is filled with erotic materials. All of this is overwhelming to the Stephanides family, particularly Calliope.

The narrator provides some background: Dr. Peter Luce is “considered the world’s leading authority on human hermaphroditism” (409). He’s also something of a pop-psychology phenomenon, having written for Playboy magazine and appeared on Phil Donohue. His book, The Oracular Vulva, is considered a standard text with regard to addressing sexual issues. His primary contribution is the thesis that regardless of biological sex, gender identity is established and reinforced by nurture, not designated by nature.

In treating Callie, Dr. Luce’s goal is to determine how Callie sees herself. This is complicated by Callie’s own uncertainty about her identity, given that the Object of her first romance is a female, and by her being in adolescence, when the mind and body are in flux. Milton decides he must get back to work but gives Tessie and Callie a small fortune to spend.