Taboo Science

Good intentions, it turns out, are not the same thing as good allyship — and sometimes they can actually make things worse. In this season finale, diversity consultant Davey Shlasko breaks down the unconscious assumptions that make pronouns harder than they should be, why trying harder often backfires, and what being a genuine ally actually looks like in practice. Woven through his advice, you'll hear from the community voices you've met all season talking about what it feels like to be on the receiving end. We cover the science of why you "miscategorize" trans people, how to recover from misgendering without making it about yourself, and how to show up for trans people even when there are no trans people in the room. Plus: a pronoun exercise that is genuinely kind of fun. If you've listened to this whole season, this episode is where it all lands. Resources from Davey Shlasko:Trans Allyship Workbook: https://bookshop.org/p/books/trans-allyship-workbook-building-skills-to-support-trans-people-in-our-lives-davey-shlasko/3f4e67304056522aThink Again Training: https://www.thinkagaintraining.com/Citations & transcript: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-how-to-be-an-ally-without-making-it-weird/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473

Kinnon MacKinnon, an assistant professor who led the largest study on detransition, breaks down complex research and implications. The conversation contrasts two very different life stories. It covers who detransitions, why motivations vary, and how healthcare systems can both fail and help people. The focus is on nuance, listening, and reducing shame around a sensitive topic.

Chris Mosier, elite triathlete and transgender activist, and Blair Hamilton, sports medicine researcher specializing in trans athletic performance, join to unpack the actual studies. They discuss how few athletes are affected, how transition changes some performance measures but not others, and why policy needs sport-specific evidence. The conversation highlights harms of bans and the political playbook targeting trans inclusion.

Every notification is a gamble: Is this a genuine connection or another person who swiped right just to tell you you're disgusting? Welcome to dating while trans. In this episode, we're exploring the disclosure dilemmas, infrastructure failures, and stigma that make dating "super hell" for trans people—featuring author and theorist Julia Serano (Whipping Girl). You'll hear why the design of dating apps fails trans people, how anti-trans stigma poisons relationships even when the attraction is real, what "chasers" are and why the fetish mindset is so harmful, and why trans women face wildly different (and more dangerous) dating experiences than trans men. Not attracted to trans people? Nobody’s gonna force you to change that—but we are going to help you examine whether your feelings come from you, or from the stigma society planted in your head.Plus, stick around until the end of the episode for a bonus clip all about trans sex from Sex Ed with DB. You can listen to that full episode here.More from Julia Serano:Julia’s website: https://juliaserano.com/Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/julia-serano/whipping-girl/9781541604520/ Julia’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/juliaserano More from Oliver Haimson: Oliver’s website: https://oliverhaimson.com/ Trans Technologies book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262551861/trans-technologies/Trans Technologies Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/transtechnologies/Citations and further reading: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-dating-while-trans-with-julia-serano/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473

Amy Stone, a sociology professor researching family dynamics around gender identity, shares insightful perspectives on the challenges families face when a member comes out as trans. She explains why parental acceptance is often the hardest, yet most crucial, while extended family members like aunts and grandmothers may provide unexpected support. The discussion reveals that many families can reconcile over time, and emphasizes the importance of community and chosen families for those who face rejection. Stone also highlights the impact of media on family perceptions and offers concrete advice for relatives.

In this engaging conversation, Oliver Haimson, an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan and author of *Trans Technologies*, sheds light on the intersection of technology and transgender lives. He discusses how mainstream tech often overlooks trans needs, from flawed healthcare systems to excluding software designs. Oliver highlights the resilience of online communities that support isolated trans individuals, explores the skepticism towards AI within these communities, and emphasizes the importance of allyship in tech. His insights reveal both the challenges and potential of technology for trans empowerment.

Here's a wild statistic: nearly a quarter of trans people in the U.S. avoid going to the doctor specifically because they expect to be disrespected. And honestly? They're probably right. In this episode of Taboo Science, we're pulling back the curtain on a healthcare system that requires trans patients to prove they're "really trans," charges thousands of dollars for basic care, and somehow graduates doctors who've never learned how to treat trans bodies. You'll hear from sociologist stef shuster about the folklore of trans medicine that doctors still believe, psychologist Stephanie Budge about the critical difference between over-emphasizing and under-emphasizing gender in treatment, and comedian Max Gross about what it's like to be your own medical educator at every single appointment. This episode is not gonna make you like your insurance company, but I promise there's hope at the end. More from stef shuster:Website: http://stefshuster.com/Buy their book: https://nyupress.org/9781479899371/trans-medicine/More from Max Gross:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxgotjokes/See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-finding-healthcare-that-wont-kill-you/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473

It's Thanksgiving here in the US, so we're re-running one of the most popular Taboo Science episodes of all time. We'll be back in two weeks with an episode about trans healthcare access!In this episode, we challenge the common perceptions of attraction and explore the complexities of asexuality. Sociology PhD candidate Canton Weiner shares invaluable insights from his research while Sarah Costello, co-host of the podcast "Sounds Fake, But Okay," opens up about her personal experience being aro-ace, or aromantic asexual. We examine the split attraction model and shed light on various types of attraction, delve into the history of asexuality with pioneers like Magnus Hirschfeld and Alfred Kinsey, and discover how the rise of the internet has shaped the asexual community. This episode challenges misconceptions, explores the intersection of asexuality and other identities like race and gender, and highlights the need for increased understanding and acceptance within the LGBTQIA community.Check out Canton Winer's University of Irvine bio and his research.Listen to Sarah Costello's podcast Sounds Fake But Okay and pick up her new book, Sounds Fake but Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Anything Else.See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/s3-e2-asexuality/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473

Dr. M. Matsuno, an assistant professor specializing in non-binary research, and Newt Schottelkotte, an audio engineer and sensitivity reader, explore the complexities of non-binary identities. They discuss how the term transcends the binary of man and woman and share personal journeys of self-identification. The duo also dives into the challenges surrounding pronouns, the nuances of hormone use, and the impact of societal expectations. With insights into resilience and community, this conversation offers a compelling view on navigating gender identity.

The right says doctors are mutilating children. The left says nothing permanent is happening. They're both oversimplifying, but they're not equally wrong. Meet Maya, who started transitioning at 13 with puberty blockers, then hormones, then surgery at 16. Now 25 and thriving, she walks us through what actually happened—and why she says it saved her life. We also talk to pediatrician Dr. Michelle Forcier, who breaks down the real medical process. We're busting the "most trans kids change their minds" myth with actual research, covering what puberty blockers really do, why some trans kids hate being on them, and the question nobody wants to ask: what happens to kids who don't get care? Turns out inaction is also a decision, and it comes with permanent consequences too. This episode won't give you easy answers, but it will show you what the science actually says and why everyone who knows trans youth best says the same thing: listen to them. Content note: This episode includes discussion of self-harm and suicidality. More from Michelle Forcier:Brown UniversityLinkedInSee citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-trans-kids-the-reality-of-youth-transition/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473