Got a rainbow sticker? Follow trans creators? Have trans friends? Cool. But if you're like most people—even the well-meaning ones—you probably know just enough about trans people to be dangerous. In this episode, we're dismantling the "born in the wrong body" narrative and exploring what being trans actually means. With help from University of Victoria transgender studies chair Dr. Aaron Devor, paleontologist Riley Black, PhD student Hibby Thach, and comedian Charlie James, we're breaking down sex vs. gender vs. gender expression, debunking the "social contagion" myth, and explaining why asking "but have you had The Surgery?" is never okay. Trans people are rarer than redheads, but somehow they're at the center of a political firestorm—so let's actually understand what we're talking about. More from Aaron Devor: Website Podcast for Inquiry appearance More from Riley Black: Website Order her latest book, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs Bluesky More from Hibby Thach: Website Twitch Bluesky More from Charlie James: Website Order his book, I’m Just a Little Guy: How to Escape the Horrors and Get Back to Dillydallying TikTok See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-everything-you-think-you-know-but-probably-dont/ Connect with the show: Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscience Leave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscience Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienc e Website: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473
