Reading the Rainbows

9. Proud Faith: How Youth Navigate Queer and Religious Identities

What do teens do when they realize they might be queer (LGBTQ+) and are also part of a faith community? There's a general belief that you can't be both: That embracing a queer identity means rejecting religion, and vice versa. While this is a myth--many queer persons are deeply religious--the expectations and the experiences of queer youth in Christian contexts is most commonly one of rejection. How do queer youth navigate this? In this episode we share research on the experiences of queer youth as they explore whether they can integrate their queer and religious identities. We discover some expected and also some surprising and hopeful responses.

8. Transgender Stories

Transgender. These days just speaking the word can trigger intense emotional reactions. The topic has become a political hot potato. It's difficult to have a considered, thoughtful, evidence-based conversation about transgender. I invite you to take a deep, calming breath. We're going to take time to reflect on what the term transgender means and what experiences the word captures. In this episode, we start by listening. What do transgender persons say about their experience? What is it like to be transgender? We hear from Hannah and Gill, who generously and vulnerably share their journeys. In the spirit of humility, curiosity, and hospitality, let's listen.

7. The Biology of Gender Identity

How do you know your gender? Is it something you learn from others? Something that is hardwired into your brain from the beginning? Is gender identity something tightly connected to to your biological sex, or can it vary independently of sex? These questions become concrete when someone's experience and expression of gender differs from what we expect. This episode, co-hosted by Jonathan Sieswerda, introduces the research into the biology and neuroscience of gender identity.

6C. The Science of Sexual Orientation: How and How Should Research Affect our Attitudes?

We casually toss around words like "gay," "straight,", "bi," and "ace" and use them as touchstones or calls to arms in our culture wars around sexual diversity. We often act as if we all know and agree on what these terms mean. And regularly we bolster our own positions with claims about what "scientists say." So what do "scientists say" about sexual orientation? In this three-part series, I examine the challenges of defining what sexual orientation is for research purposes (part A), what the research tells us about the causes and consequences of variations in sexual orientation (part B), and both how and whether we can use this research as we engage in conversations around sexual diversity.

6B. The Science of Sexual Orientation: What Does the Research Say?

We casually toss around words like "gay," "straight,", "bi," and "ace" and use them as touchstones or calls to arms in our culture wars around sexual diversity. We often act as if we all know and agree on what these terms mean. And regularly we bolster our own positions with claims about what "scientists say." So what do "scientists say" about sexual orientation? In this three-part series, I examine the challenges of defining what sexual orientation is for research purposes (part A), what the research tells us about the causes and consequences of variations in sexual orientation (part B), and both how and whether we can use this research as we engage in conversations around sexual diversity.