Danny Lavery welcomes Esther Jaffee, a marine microbiologist who specializes in algal biochemistry. Lavery and Jaffee read a letter from someone who is afraid that admitting a crush on their friend will offend their gender identity. Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more. Learn more here. Need advice? Send Danny a question here. Email: mood@slate.com Production by Phil Surkis