Season 12 launch date! First guest revealed! Book club?

Hey friends,

Happy new year! We made it to another year of whatever the hell this is*, and I finally have some concrete podcast news for you:

We have recorded four episodes (plus a Gender Conceal episode) for this upcoming season of Gender Reveal so far, with three more (plus a Gender Conceal) scheduled for later this month. If all goes well, you can expect:

• A full-length bonus ep in the Gender Reveal feed on Monday
• Another short bonus ep later in the week, which will mostly be me telling the non-Patron listeners news that you already know
• Season 12 of Gender Reveal will start the following Monday(!!!!!!!!) with new episodes weekly after that, as usual.

I may have overcomplicated that announcement? Basically, Ozzy and I are making a lot of podcasts right now, and you can listen very soon!

While you’re waiting, I want to try something new: a verrrrry loose little Gender Reveal book club. A friend suggested** that instead of keeping our future guests a secret, I give y’all a little heads up about upcoming authors, so that you can read ahead if you prefer. So: Excited to tell you that our season premiere will feature Lamya H, author of Hijab Butch Blues!

Once several of us have read the book, maybe we can have a little unofficial book club chat about it? Like, in the patreon comments, or the gender detective slack, or whatever? Just an option! Feel free to scheme in the comments, if interested.

Oh, and speaking of reading! Just a reminder that all patrons can access the archive of Gender Conceal transcripts here. Password is detective.

Meanwhile, I just got back from the post office, and can announce that I am momentarily completely*** caught up on physical Patreon rewards. So if you think I still owe you something, please let me know! (I mean, give it a week for the mail to arrive, but then lmk.)

We also have our 2023 grant recipients publicly announced! You can find them on our website or in our “grant winners” instagram story collection.

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*  “This” being both the podcast specifically and being alive generally

**  Text me if this was you because I unfortch forget, but thank you for this!

*** Unless you are one specific famous science journalist who almost definitely does not read this newsletter

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OK, it’s time for Links & Stuff. I’ve been reading through a bunch of old newsletters, so these links span the last 10 months, but I think they’re extra good because of that.

Last year’s hits I missed:

• My fave Caity Weaver on joining a “package trip for Millennials who travel alone” (March 2023, New York Times gift link)
• Jules Gill-Peterson on trans girls in sports and trans political compromise (May 2023, Sad Brown Girl)
• “Why are there so many articles called ‘Why Are There So Few Lesbian Bars?’” (July 2023, Dyke Domesticity)
• JP Brammer’s thoughts on loneliness, surveillance, and the dating app screenshot (August 2023, Hola Papi)
• Three queer & trans dykes on intergenerational lesbian community at Provincetown Women’s Week (Oct 2023, Dyke Domesticity)

From this week:

• Sabs on top surgery, health insurance, and a family history of breast cancer
• Tom Scocca on navigating a life-threatening medical mystery, disability, COVID, and unemployment
• A comedy critic’s argument for calling Dave Chappelle an anti-trans activist instead of a comedian
• Niko’s reflections on the new year and also Counting Crows of course
• And most importantly… it happened.

That’s it this week. Here’s your weekly Rhubarb. 

Photo: Ruby laying on a bed next to a simple paper mobile of a bird. She's looking directly at the camera (Ruby not the bird). There's a framed illustration of Ruby out of focus on the wall behind her.

(A patron sent us this little bird craft with the hope that Ruby would like it; this photo is especially for them.)

Xo,

Yr resident gender detective