What if the government declared you don't exist? In 2025, that's exactly what happened to nonbinary people—but they're not going anywhere. This episode breaks down what nonbinary actually means (hint: it's not "between man and woman"), why they/them pronouns are harder for our brains to process, and how some nonbinary people use hormones to craft their perfect gender recipe. With help from psychologist Dr. Em Matsuno and our sensitivity reader Newt Schottelkotte, we're exploring everything from microdosing testosterone to why misgendering is the default for nonbinary folks—along with the benefits to the journey of gender discovery. Whether you're nonbinary yourself, know someone who is, or are just trying to figure out how to not mess up someone's pronouns, this episode will help you understand what it means to make your own gender from scratch.
More from Em Matsuno: 

• Empowerment Lab website: https://empowermentlab.wordpress.com/
• Empowerment Lab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowerment_lab_asu

More from Newt Schottelkotte:

• Website: https://newtschottelkotte.com/

See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/nonbinary-101-beyond-the-binary/

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• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscience
• Website: https://www.tabooscience.show/ 

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(00:00:00) Trans 101: Trans Kids & the Reality of Youth Transition
(00:03:52) Meet Maya
(00:08:39) Understanding Puberty Blockers
(00:12:20) Are Kids Too Young to Know?
(00:16:07) Do Trans Kids Change Their Minds?
(00:20:24) Risks to Puberty Blockers
(00:21:54) Maya's Journey
(00:27:59) What Happens Without Care
(00:31:17) Advice for Parents
(00:33:41) Conclusion

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 University
• LinkedIn

See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-trans-kids-the-reality-of-youth-transition/

Need music for a project? Use my Epidemic Sound referral link: https://share.epidemicsound.com/kbva2h

Connect with the show:

• Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscience
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscience
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscience
• Website: https://www.tabooscience.show/ 

Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473

Another podcast Taboo Science listeners may enjoy: Sing For Science!

Sing for Science is a science-and-music podcast where musicians sit down with scientists to explore the scientific ideas hidden in their most iconic songs. Listen to JD from Korn talk about “Dead Bodies Everywhere” with a mortuary-science expert, Sia explore one of her breakup ballads with an attachment-theory psychologist, and many, many more. Created and hosted by New York musician Matt Whyte, the show seeks to uncover connections wherever they may exist and build bridges between seemingly disparate voices, styles, and walks of life. Sing For Science is made possible in part by a grant from the Simons Foundation. New episodes release every two weeks—subscribe now. Want to catch a live Sing For Science taping in your city? Sign up for our newsletter at SingForScience.org to be the first to know.

WARNING: This episode contains content related to mortuary science that some listeners may find disturbing.

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis delves into his past as a mortician with popular science bestselling author, Mary Roach. Mary wrote the hit book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and the two have no shortage of gory details to discuss. We talk about the biology of human corpse decomposition and preservation, embalming techniques (including but not limited to anal suturing), Elvis’s autopsy, and more!

Learn more at https://www.singforscience.org/

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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/@tabooscience
• Website: https://www.tabooscience.show/ 

Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473

(00:00:00) Trans 101: How Transgender Hormone Therapy Changes Body and Brain
(00:03:26) Why you can't change the mind
(00:05:17) Estrogen and what it takes to start it
(00:08:58) Testosterone and what it takes to start it
(00:11:58) How hormones work
(00:15:19) Psychological changes
(00:19:48) Physical changes on estrogen
(00:21:31) Physical changes on testosterone
(00:22:53) Surgical options for trans women
(00:26:28) Surgical options for trans men
(00:32:01) Conclusion
(00:33:17) Outro

For decades, doctors tried to psychoanalyze trans people out of being trans. Spoiler: it didn't work. This episode dives into the medical reality of gender transition—from how hormones actually work at the cellular level to the emotional rollercoaster of a second puberty. You'll learn what estrogen and testosterone really do to the body, what bottom growth actually means, and how modern surgery can create everything from boobs to fully functional penises with hydraulic erections. We cover the psychological shifts, the physical changes, the hilarious terminology trans people have coined, and why medical transition isn't about "fixing" anyone—it's about letting people finally be themselves.

More from Michelle Forcier:

• Brown University
• LinkedIn

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
  
  

Citations and transcript: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-how-transgender-hormone-therapy-changes-body-and-brain/



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• Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscience
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• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taboosciencShow more...