Date: September 25, 2018
01) X & Y
02) Direct Download [MP3]
“A lot of us understand biological sex with a pretty fateful underpinning: if you’re born with XX chromosomes, you’re female; if you’re born with XY chromosomes, you’re male. But it turns out, our relationship to the opposite sex is more complicated than we think.”
03) Dutee
04) Direct Download [MP3]
“In 2014, India’s Dutee Chand was a rising female track and field star, crushing national records. But then, that summer, something unexpected happened: she failed a gender test. And was banned from the sport. Before she knew it, Dutee was thrown into the middle of a controversy that started long before her, and continues on today: how to separate males and females in sport.
This story is a companion piece to Gonads, Episode 5, Dana.”
05) Dana
06) Direct Download [MP3]
“When Dana Zzyym applied for their first passport back in 2014, they were handed a pretty straightforward application. Name, place of birth, photo ID — the usual. But one question on the application stopped Dana in their tracks: male or female? Dana, technically, wasn’t either.
In this episode, we follow the story of Dana Zzyym, Navy veteran and activist, which starts long before they scribble the word “intersex” on their passport application. Along the way, we see what happens when our inner biological realities bump into the outside world, and the power of words to shape us.
This episode is a companion piece to Gonads, Episode 4, Dutee.”
07) Sex Ed
08) Direct Download [MP3]
“If there’s one thing Gonads taught us, it’s just how complicated human reproduction is. All the things we thought we knew about biology and sex determination are up for debate in a way that feels both daunting and full of potential. At the same time, we’re at a moment where we’re wrestling with how to approach conversations around sex, consent, and boundaries, at a time that may be more divisive than ever. So host Molly Webster thought: what if we took on sex ed, and tried to tackle questions from listeners, youth, reddit (oh boy), and staff.
But instead of approaching these questions the way your high school health teacher might’ve (or government teacher, who knows), Molly invited a cast of storytellers, educators, artists, and comedians to grapple with sex ed in unexpected and thoughtful ways. To help us think about how we can change the conversation. In this episode, an edited down version of a Gonads Live show, Molly’s team takes a crack at responding to the intimate questions you asked when you were younger but probably never got a straight answer to. Featuring:
How Do You Talk About Condoms Without Condom Demonstrations? Sanford Johnson. Wanna see how to put on a sock?
What Are Periods? Sindha Agha and Gul Agha. Check out Sindha’s photography here.
Is Anything Off-Limits? Ericka Hart, Dalia Mahgoub, and Jonathan Zimmerman
Why Do We Do This Anyway? And Other Queries from Fifth Graders Jo Firestone
“Sex Ed” is an edited* recording of a live event hosted by Radiolab at the Skirball Center in New York City on May 16, 2018. Radiolab Team Gonads is Molly Webster, Pat Walters, and Rachael Cusick, with Jad Abumrad. Live music, including the sex ed questions, and the Gonads theme song, were written, performed, and produced by Majel Connery and Alex Overington.”
