Gillian Anderson calls on women to send her their fantasies to break the taboo around women's sexuality

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 3, 2023. It has since been updated.

Gillian Anderson is asking females across the globe to share their sexual fantasies with her anonymously. Anderson, who stars as the knowledgeable sex therapist Jean Milburn in the hit Netflix series "Sex Education," posted a video on Instagram where she announced her plans for "a major exploration of women and sex." Looking serene in a burgundy armchair, the 54-year-old actress asked women to send her their "deepest, most personal desires" for a book she is working on.

"As women, we know that sex is about more than just sex, but so many of us don't talk about it." "Our deepest most intimate fears and fantasies remain locked away inside of us. Until someone comes along with the key." "Well here is your key. I am curating a book of your anonymous letters to me. A book exploring how women think about sex because sex is about womanhood and motherhood, infidelity and exploitation, consent and respect, fairness and egalitarianism, love and hate, pleasure and pain," said Anderson.

The viewers were asked if they had any secret desires they would only divulge to the people they trust the most. She also said, "Wherever you come from, whether you're 18 or 80, you sleep with men or women or non-binary individuals or all or no one at all. I want to know your most personal desires. Let's open up this conversation together and create something revelatory."

Gillian Anderson, an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1990s with her role as Agent Dana Scully in "The X-Files," has come up with a unique way of gathering letters from women around the world. Anderson is asking them to share their secrets and stories in a new book, which she plans to edit. In her article for The Guardian, Anderson explained the motivation behind her project. She refers to Nancy Friday's groundbreaking 1973 book "My Secret Garden: Women's Sexual Fantasies," which she read in 2018 while preparing for her role in the British series "Sex Education." Anderson found the book's honesty both shocking and inspiring and it ultimately gave her the idea for her own collection.

Anderson also wrote about her experiences on the set of "Sex Education," where she often was asked if women confide their secrets and problems to her. She noticed that they don't tend to do that, which is why she decided to give them a platform to share their stories.

To make it easier for women to participate, Anderson shared an encrypted portal to her Instagram bio, asking them to address their letters to her. She hopes the letters will be "revelatory and profound" and come from all corners of the world. The project is being supported by Bloomsbury Trade and Alexis Kirschbaum, the head of the publishing house, said in a press release that Anderson's editorship will help draw in a wide range of letters. This is an exciting opportunity for women to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. Anderson's collection of letters is sure to be a powerful and important read.