On today’s show, guest host Christina Lieffring speaks with Kavin Senapathy. In their new book, The Progressive Parent, Senapathy writes about how the “In This House We Believe” yard signs originated in Madison following the 2016 presidential election. Senapathy says that “whether or not someone chooses to display it around their dwelling, there’s power in its message for parents if we also act intentionally on these shared core values: science, truth, equity, and justice.” Their book is an exploration of what it means to live those values and raise children according to those values. 

In their conversation, Lieffring and Senapathy cover topics like breastfeeding, the “breast is best” slogan, and the formula industry. They delve into the ideology of biological essentialism and how this impacts trans rights, abortion rights, and racism. And they cover how the idea of biological essentialism appears at the Olympics. Overall, Senapathy’s book re-educates readers about the science of gender and sex, and it  argues for antiracist parenting rather than colorblind parenting.

Kavin Senapathy is an award-winning science journalist whose writing appears in SciShow, Slate, Scientific American, SELF, The Daily Beast, Salon, Forbes, and more. Their book, The Progressive Parent: Harnessing the Power of Science and Social Justice to Raise Awesome Kids, comes out August 6th.

Featured image courtesy of Harper Collins.

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