EPISODE · Jan 22, 2026 · 42 MIN
Trans 101: Dating While Trans (with Julia Serano)
from Taboo Science · host Ashley Hamer Pritchard
Every notification is a gamble: Is this a genuine connection or another person who swiped right just to tell you you're disgusting? Welcome to dating while trans. In this episode, we're exploring the disclosure dilemmas, infrastructure failures, and stigma that make dating "super hell" for trans people—featuring author and theorist Julia Serano (Whipping Girl). You'll hear why the design of dating apps fails trans people, how anti-trans stigma poisons relationships even when the attraction is real, what "chasers" are and why the fetish mindset is so harmful, and why trans women face wildly different (and more dangerous) dating experiences than trans men. Not attracted to trans people? Nobody’s gonna force you to change that—but we are going to help you examine whether your feelings come from you, or from the stigma society planted in your head.Plus, stick around until the end of the episode for a bonus clip all about trans sex from Sex Ed with DB. You can listen to that full episode here.More from Julia Serano:Julia’s website: https://juliaserano.com/Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/julia-serano/whipping-girl/9781541604520/ Julia’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/juliaserano More from Oliver Haimson: Oliver’s website: https://oliverhaimson.com/ Trans Technologies book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262551861/trans-technologies/Trans Technologies Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/transtechnologies/Citations and further reading: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-dating-while-trans-with-julia-serano/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473
What this episode covers
Every notification is a gamble: Is this a genuine connection or another person who swiped right just to tell you you're disgusting? Welcome to dating while trans. In this episode, we're exploring the disclosure dilemmas, infrastructure failures, and stigma that make dating "super hell" for trans people—featuring author and theorist Julia Serano (Whipping Girl). You'll hear why the design of dating apps fails trans people, how anti-trans stigma poisons relationships even when the attraction is real, what "chasers" are and why the fetish mindset is so harmful, and why trans women face wildly different (and more dangerous) dating experiences than trans men. Not attracted to trans people? Nobody’s gonna force you to change that—but we are going to help you examine whether your feelings come from you, or from the stigma society planted in your head.Plus, stick around until the end of the episode for a bonus clip all about trans sex from Sex Ed with DB. You can listen to that full episode here.More from Julia Serano:Julia’s website: https://juliaserano.com/Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/julia-serano/whipping-girl/9781541604520/ Julia’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/juliaserano More from Oliver Haimson: Oliver’s website: https://oliverhaimson.com/ Trans Technologies book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262551861/trans-technologies/Trans Technologies Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/transtechnologies/Citations and further reading: https://www.tabooscience.show/trans-101-dating-while-trans-with-julia-serano/Connect with the show:Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/tabooscienceLeave me a voice memo: https://podline.fm/tabooscienceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabooscienceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tabooscienceWebsite: https://www.tabooscience.show/ Loved this episode? Leave a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taboo-science/id1533606473
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Trans 101: Dating While Trans (with Julia Serano)
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