Host: Mike
Episode Length: ~15 minutes
Category: Science • Psychology • Society
In this episode of Planting Thoughts, Mike dives deep into the neuroscience and psychology of gender identity—separating scientific fact from political fiction.
We unpack what peer-reviewed research says about the brains of transgender people, explore how hormones and neural connectivity adapt during transition, and discuss the psychological concept of minority stress—how discrimination, not identity, drives distress.
This episode goes beyond talking points to show how empathy, data, and humanity align.
Neuroimaging Studies: Brain regions involved in self-perception and gender identity
Hormone Therapy & the Brain: Structural and functional neural changes
Psychology of Gender Identity: What the APA and global research actually define
Minority Stress Theory: Why discrimination—not identity—causes higher anxiety and depression
Real-World Impacts: From affirming care to dehumanizing policy rhetoric
What Science Recommends: Evidence-based support for mental health and inclusion
Guillamon et al., NeuroImage: Clinical (2021) – Brain structure in transgender individuals
Smith et al., JAMA Network Open (2023) – Adolescent brain imaging and gender diversity
Hendricks & Testa (2012), American Journal of Public Health – Minority Stress Model in transgender populations
Colizzi et al. (2016), Psychoneuroendocrinology – Effects of hormone therapy on brain structure
Reisner et al. (2016), The Lancet – Global mental health outcomes and access to affirming care
“Reducing gender to chromosomes is like saying Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is just air vibrations.”
“Science is complex; rhetoric is loud. And loud doesn’t mean right.”
“When society supports its most vulnerable, everyone flourishes.”
If this episode resonated, share it, rate it, and help plant more seeds of empathy and evidence.
Next week: The Psychology of Teen Vaping — How Industries Hack the Adolescent Brain.
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