Once upon a time, in the cozy chaos of my kitchen, I offered my friend a dish I’d lovingly prepared. It was a masterpiece of stir-fried vegetables, tantalizing spices, and, yes, tofu. But my friend’s reaction was priceless—a mix of horror and disbelief. “Tofu?” they asked, as if I’d served them alien food. “I can’t eat that. Won’t it mess with my hormones?”

Let’s unpack that tofu-phobia with science, humor, and a dash of sass—and along the way, dispel another fear: transphobia. Turns out, both have more in common than you think.

Hormones: Everyone’s Got Them

Here’s the first shocker: no one is purely “masculine” or “feminine.” Every human body produces estrogen and testosterone. The burliest lumberjack? Estrogen helps regulate his bone density. The fiercest femme fatale? Testosterone support ...