We're BACK!!! Cyrus Dunham! Queer merch 4 kids!

Heyyyyy cool babies! Did you know that Gender Reveal is BACK and better than ever? That's right: Season 5 has officially begun, and you can find this week's episode in Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to whatever you listen to. 

Tbh, I'm really proud of this week's episode, which features author Cyrus Dunham. The interview covers a range of thought-provoking (to me) topics including but not limited to:

• Trying to intellectualize your way out of wanting to transition (spoiler: you can't!)
• Writing a permanent document (i.e. a book) about a deeply temporary and (pun intended) transitional time in your life 
• How essentializing men as inherently violent can lead to transmisogyny
• Whether top surgery contributes to colonialism and white supremacy
• Watching your loved one becoming a commodity
• Writing a memoir for fellow deviants
• The guilty eroticism of he/him pronouns
• Big Libra Energy
• The fall of the state
• And more! 

This episode's This Week in Gender segment consists of a list of common arguments against the validity of they/them pronouns, and how to neatly counter each and every one of them. Heard an argument that I didn't mention on the show? Send it my way and I'll add it to a future episode. (PS: I'm hoping some of y'all can send this episode segment to your subpar acquaintances and family members instead of doing that labor yourself, if u want.)

Also on this ep: the official podcast announcement about me quitting my job and another deep expression of gratitude for EVERY SINGLE ONE OF Y'ALL. It's only been a couple of weeks since my last day of work, but my life has already improved immeasurably, and I'm working hard to catch up on 100 loose ends and make the podcast bigger and better than ever before. I absolutely literally could not do this without you and I am beyond grateful every single day for your support. Thank you thank you thank you. 

In merch news, we've got a wholesome new design in the store for you! This beautiful painting is currently available on a mug, a sticker, or our first-ever children's t-shirt. (That's right — we've got queer kid merch!) Proceeds benefit the artist as well as two incarcerated trans women that the artist knows via Black & Pink. (Oh, and by the way, the art is inspired by real-life queer/intersex cardinals.)

Next week on the podcast, I'm hoping to share the first half of our 2019 live show, specifically our interview with organizer Alyssa Pariah. Alyssa is one of the most incredible speakers we've ever had on the show, and I can't wait for you to hear her good smart thoughts!! 

(cw: surgery) In dog news — yes, there's a dog news segment now, apparently — my dog-sister Maddy had a rough week, but we went to visit her on Sunday and she's healing up nicely! She had a drain put in near her chest, so we've been joking that she got top surgery, and now her stitches are being covered up by a shirt that my mother apparently took from Baby Molly's closet? (I had no idea she still had Baby Molly clothes but here they are.) Anyway, a trans sibling success story, I love this.

Photo by my very good roommate! Idk if they want to be named?! But they're perfect ok bye.

That's it for now! Here's your weekly Rhubarb, which was taken at 12pm on a Tuesday; thank you for letting me quit my job; we're in love.

xo,
Yr resident gender detective