What makes a boy a “boy” and a girl a “girl”? And why from the womb are we so obsessed with gender and why just by virtue of being male or female society expects us to behave or dress certain ways, or use certain bathrooms? Or fit into other so-called norms. That’s a lot of pressure on a kid, especially if your biological identity--the sex you were assigned at birth--differs from your gender identity or gender expression.

Today, as part of the Inflection Point summer swap series you’ll hear from Donna Cleveland, the host of a new podcast called Thread the Needle that explores the meeting place between feminist ideals and the realities of women’s lives.

In this episode, Donna looks into the suicide of a 14-year-old trans boy from her own small hometown and asks the question—What does our society need to understand about gender and how it influences our sense of self in order to better support our trans community, friends and family?

Before you listen, Donna wants to make sure you know that this story includes discussion of suicide and other self-harming behavior.