In this contribution, the authors want to highlight the significance of incorporating the topic of gender in the EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom and provide practical examples using literary texts for (lower) intermediate and advanced learners. Each text will be accompanied by a vocabulary activity and an empathy task that draws upon the concept of transdifference to foster gender competence among EFL learners. This concept enables EFL learners to acknowledge diverse positions on gender identity and at the same time enables them to broaden their horizons becoming more aware of potential stereotypes and binary structures and how to defy them.