May 3, 2017

Nucleus #11: Gender Talk

Revue

Nucleus Mag

May 3 · Issue #11 · View online

Science and Culture Stories Curated by Journalist Dinsa Sachan

Zdravstvuj!

Something phenomenal happened in the TV world recently.

A series on Showtime network called Billions introduced a gender non-binary character named Taylor Mason. Asia Kate-Dillon, the actor who plays Mason, is gender non-binary in real life.

It is touted as the first gender non-conforming character on television. Kate-Dillon’s performance has garnered critical acclaim. It has also invited discussion on gender. Many people are confounded by the term gender non-binary. For the uninitiated, here’s Kate-Dillon’s brief explanation on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

In this week’s Nucleus Mag, I’ve curated the most phenomenal coverage on gender-related issues.

Let's talk about gender. Photo credit: Unsplash.com

SCIENCE

All of Sex Is One Gene—Almost

nautil.us – Share

How are sex, gender and gender-identity different? Pulitzer Prize winner Siddhartha Mukherjee addresses this question in his new book The Gene: An Intimate History. Nautilus mag published an excerpt.

How Science Is Helping Us Understand Gender

www.nationalgeographic.com – Share

National Geographic dedicated its January issue on gender. This article answers important questions about the transgender identity. What’s going on with their genes or their brains?

Sex Redefined

www.nature.com – Share

This Nature piece delves into the fascinating world of the sex spectrum. Chromosomal abnormalities can give rise to different types of sexes – that lie somewhere on the male-female scale.

CULTURE

Gender Glossary For The Uninitiated

ejce.berkeley.edu – Share

This University of California, Berkeley, glossary can be a great resource for people who want to learn more about the gender spectrum and different gender identities.

I'm Not Male. I'm Not Female. Please Don't Ask Me About My Junk.

www.esquire.com – Share

I enjoyed this Esquire personal essay by Sam Escobar. They appear to be female, but are gender non-conforming. Unsurprisingly, people are very curious about their sexuality. Escobar rants about awkward things people say to them – and how they deal with all.

When no gender fits: a quest to be seen as just a person

www.washingtonpost.com – Share

This Washington Post recounts the story of a teenager, Kelsey, who is non-binary and just wants to be recognized as a person. The writer narrates her struggles with telling friends about her identity and choosing the right type of clothes.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Have you heard of Mosaic magazine? It is one of the best magazines for long-form science journalism. I highly recommend this piece by Lesley Evans Ogden. She biked around seven cities in the world to investigate whether the fitness benefits of cycling outweigh the risk of accidents.

FROM MY DESK

In 2014, I landed in Cape Town thanks to a generous journalism fellowship. It was my first exposure to Africa’s AIDS epidemic. The trip not only changed my perspective on many things, including sex work, but also helped me develop AIDS as one of my beats. It was a life-changing experience, to say the least.

And, now, here’s my latest piece in The Development Set. It’s about vaginal rings. A ring that has the potential to stop HIV – in women. It is specifically tailored to the needs of African women. For a journalist covering both science and women’s issues, this story is the best of both worlds.

♥ Did you enjoy reading this issue of Nucleus? Please share it on (1) Twitter (2) Facebook, or (3) via a quick e-mail. (Thank you!)

Until next week,

Dinsa Sachan
Freelance Science and Culture Journalist
http://www.dinsasachan.com/more

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