Athlete Is Agender: True Stories of LGBTQ+ People in Sports

by Katherine Locke (Editor), Nicole Melleby (editor)

Athlete is agender. Athlete can mean anyone. "Part memoir, part manifesto" (Booklist) this book revels in the achievements of strong, passionate, and determined LGBTQ+ athletes across every age, level, and field of sports. Find your strength Adam Rippon’s unbelievable journey from figure-skating Olympic alternate to the first openly gay Olympic medalist in his sport; CeCé Telfer’s career as a trans track star and her unwavering commitment to run for the future freedom of trans athletes; em dickson’s relationship to eir gender identity and how sailing, a sport that doesn’t categorize athletes by gender, helped em embrace eir power and identity, and many other invaluable true stories. Featuring testimonies by world-class athletes and award-winning children’s book authors, as well as profiles on culture-defining figures like Megan Rapinoe and Billie Jean King, Athlete Is Agender is a lifesaving book not to be missed. This book is · LGBTQIA+ kids, teens, tweens, and adults · Athletes and sports fans · Readers looking to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community · Parents of gay kids and other LGBTQIA+ youth · Educators looking for advice about the LGBTQIA+ community TITLE IX UPDATE Laws are constantly being debated, repealed, and fought for. On January 9th, 2025, a federal court in Kentucky argued that transgender and nonbinary students should not be covered by Title IX protections, rolling back the 2021 order from then-Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Right now, schools are currently required to follow the old version of Title IX, which does not include a section on transgender athletes. It's up to us to keep pushing to get those protections back for transgender students. For transgender athletes reading this, the most powerful thing you can do is to be true to yourself, stay informed, and be sure to vote in every election you are eligible for. ★ A Junior Library Guild Selection

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Sports, Middle Grade, Queer, Memoir

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Lesli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each essay is written by a LGBTQ+ Athlete. And while their essays may not be the most beautifully written essays I've ever read, their stories are sometimes sad, often inspirational, incrediblly realistic, and so personal. There are so many books about LGBTQ+ groups, but it is nice to read one where the essays are written by the athletes themselves and not by others. It is a wonderful way of giving them a voice and a platform. Because they are all so passionate about their sports, any teen interested in sports will be able to make connections with the stories in this anthology. There is also good information about Titile IX and how to be a good teammate. Highly recommend.

[Alexa Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very nice collection of essays by a variety of different folks, with many different gender identities, talking about how they participate in sports. It also has essays written about some important LGBTQ athletes so you can get to know them, ex: Megan Rapinoe or Billie Jean King. Some of these essays are really incredible, you get to know some of the rules in sports you hadn't considered. Some are harder to understand, maybe not as well pitched to the audience. But I'm so glad this has shelf space, that we can find these essays somewhere, expressing important ideas about sports, gender and identity.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of varied experiences with sports at all age and skill levels. The authors do a great job of relating why sports is such an important part of their, and many other people's lives, and why more inclusive sports are essential. For readers like me, it's easy to disreagard sporting experiences, as they are not a big part of my life. It's easy to think, "If you're not welcome there, why be there?". I appreciate very much the ability to see why this is wrong, why queer people should not be asked to change their aspirations or interest. Instead we should allow the positives and importance of sports be available to everyone at every level.

[HaileyAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly important- especially right now. We hear from various queer athletes about how they found community and acceptance in sports, despite the hate they faced. There's a mix of profiles of notable athletes like Megan Rapinoe and Billie Jean King, to personal accounts from Adam Rippon and more. It's heartbreaking, but inspiring. I look up to every individual mentioned in this book.

[Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC - YES! I really hope this gets seen by the young queer eyes who need it most. This is an uplifting and encouraging collection of profiles and stories from/about queer and specifically transgender and gender non-conforming athletes. Obviously an incredibly relevant topic in the current media, but also just because its part of so many queer kids experience. I know that personally, soccer was a huge part of my childhood but I abandoned it because of dysphoria and discomfort playing on the girls team after coming out. I think this speaks directly to the experience of young queer/trans people in a way that is very important when a lot of other media about trans athletics is negative news. I found the sections by Karleigh Webb, Schuyler Bailar, and CeCé Telfer particularly moving, and I enjoyed the mix of athletes, some were new to me and some familiar. I highly recommend this!