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Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes
A crucial subversion of the misconceptions around the participation of gender diverse athletes—advocating for the inclusion of trans and nonbinary athletes across all levels of sport
The debate over the inclusion of gender diverse people in sport has become the latest battleground in the fight for basic human rights and equality. Trans and nonbinary people around the world are facing physical harm and violence—including death—at unprecedented rates. In Let Us Play, trans athlete Harrison Browne and investigative journalist Rachel Browne reveal how the opposition towards gender diverse athletes is fueled by fear and a moral panic as opposed to facts around what makes “a level playing field.”
Interweaving Harrison’s first-hand experience as a transgender athlete with exclusive accounts—from athletes, coaches, policymakers, and advocates on the front lines—Let Us Play dismantles the illusion that sports have ever been fair, that trans athletes pose a threat to women’s sports, and that gender-affirming healthcare for athletes should be prohibitive to play.
Calling for a reframing of the binaries from youth and high school levels all the way to the national leagues, Browne and Browne offer a new path forward, led by solutions proposed by gender diverse athletes themselves.
The debate over the inclusion of gender diverse people in sport has become the latest battleground in the fight for basic human rights and equality. Trans and nonbinary people around the world are facing physical harm and violence—including death—at unprecedented rates. In Let Us Play, trans athlete Harrison Browne and investigative journalist Rachel Browne reveal how the opposition towards gender diverse athletes is fueled by fear and a moral panic as opposed to facts around what makes “a level playing field.”
Interweaving Harrison’s first-hand experience as a transgender athlete with exclusive accounts—from athletes, coaches, policymakers, and advocates on the front lines—Let Us Play dismantles the illusion that sports have ever been fair, that trans athletes pose a threat to women’s sports, and that gender-affirming healthcare for athletes should be prohibitive to play.
Calling for a reframing of the binaries from youth and high school levels all the way to the national leagues, Browne and Browne offer a new path forward, led by solutions proposed by gender diverse athletes themselves.
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First published May 27, 2025
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July 1, 2026
I’m genuinely really impressed with this book. I thought it was going to be a memoir about one of the author’s experience being trans in hockey, but it’s actually an overview of trans participation in sports for the last 75 or so years. I listened to the audio book so a lot of the specifics like dates and which sports organization was which were lost on me, but there was a lot of examples and studies that I had never heard of.
The structure is a little wonky as chapters are grouped by topic when I think it would have made more sense chronologically or maybe by sport? The authors also had the tendency to make wide sweeping statements about what is right or wrong when they could have let the reader come to their own conclusions. But over all I found the book to be very informative and persuasive!
I know everyone isn’t going to read this book. (even thought they should!) So I’ve summarized the key arguments that the authors are making which will hopefully entice you to read more!
For starters the argument for the exclusion of trans athletes hangs on three key assumptions that actually have nothing to do with trans people. 1 that women are inherently weaker than men, 2 that it is possible to cleanly define a “biological woman” and 3 that sports should be/can be/currently are fair for all players.
1. Women are inherently weaker.
Defining strength/weakness is really context specific. It matters more in single person events like weight lifting or running where the person is pushing the limits of their own bodies but training and aptitude still plays a big role. The book uses the example of Usain Bolt, whose race times in 800m are actually slower than many of the top women’s times. One on one competitive sports like boxing often have co-ed sparing for training with no concerns about men’s strength. As well, matches are already divided to pair people of similar strengths using factors such as weight, height, and skill level within a gendered category. In team sports, the combination of a player skills and their cooperation with each other is usually more important than an individuals speed or strength.
2. “Biological” Women are one thing.
Using “biological” to refer to women and men is an interesting dog whistle for transphobes. It assumes that biology proves that there are only two genders. But when we look at the science, genitalia, chromosomes, and hormones align less often than we think they do (let alone body, expression and gender identity) and often people who do have intersex characteristics don’t know until they go through testing. Claiming that any specific trait defines a biological man/woman in order to exclude trans people inevitably ends up excluding cisgender people as well. Interestingly enough, men’s sports never seem to have a problem with people who have different hormone levels (cis or trans) gaining an unfair advantage.
3. Sports are fair.
Unfortunately every player does not come to sports with the same advantages. Economic and class differences play a huge role in who gets training from an early age and who has the money (putting a kid through hockey can cost tens of thousands a year) to continue in a sport. Girls have less opportunities in sports overall and when they play professionally they make vastly less money (for hockey $50,000 a year compared to men who make an average of $3 million a year) which means they don’t get as many resources for their training. Even the month a player is born in can give them an edge (people born in January make up something like 30-50% of elite hockey players because of the cut off times for kids divisions are in January and at a young age a few months gives them a big advantage over kids born later on in December.)
I think that seriously considering these three factors makes enough of an argument to just let people play sports in which ever categories make them the most comfortable, especially for youth who mostly play for fun, exercise and social reasons. Competing against people of all genders would probably make all athletes play better.
The authors talk about how it doesn’t make sense to have one sweeping policy for all trans athletes, but they also express a frustration that by allowing sports organizations to individually set their own guidelines, the sports governing bodies absolve themselves of their responsibility to protect trans players from discrimination and allow for the flip flopping that we see around these policies (which usually happens when a trans woman excels at a sport and the rules are reshuffled to make her ineligible to compete).
So what advantages does a person’s assigned gender at birth and their hormones during puberty actually make? This was the part I found the most interesting, though it comes with a caveat. Many of the studies that have been done, particularly on trans people have a very small sample size (one was as small as 8 women but most were between 30-100 people) so it’s hard to say conclusively, but more studies aren’t going to happen because people just want to ban trans women from sports regardless of the science. The book also looks at the performance of individual trans people who are competing at various levels. Nearly all of the vitriol circulating right now is aimed at trans women competing, but the examples of trans men are just as interesting.
Based on the evidence the book provides, girls and boys before puberty perform very similarly, with boys participating in sports in larger numbers, but girls preforming slightly better. This is likely attributed to cultural expectations that boys should play sports but that girls should focus more and work harder than boys. When puberty starts those who go through testosterone based puberty will typically become taller and develop their muscles faster (this is not the case for every individual, there are plenty of short boys and strong girls). There’s really no reason to separate kids’ sports by gender before puberty except for cultural norms.
Many sports organizations base their trans policies on what kind of puberty the individual went through so if young trans kids are lucky enough to transition early they shouldn’t experience any marked difference when playing in the category that matches their gender. (Here in Alberta they have just used the notwithstanding clause to ban trans people from sports AND trans youth from transitioning before they are 18 so that’s fun.)
Another common basis for deciding if a trans woman can compete in the women’s category is how long she’s been been taking hormone therapy. It seems like within 4-12 months of taking estrogen and suppressing testosterone a woman’s overall strength declines as much as 30%. Typically her sports performance is in about the same tier in the women’s category as it was in the men’s category. One study showed that trans womens’ performance was on par with cis womens’ in every category except for running where their times were a little faster on average. One woman referred to taking estrogen as reverse doping and that it’s very difficult to train while taking a drug that suppresses muscle mass. Interestingly trans men who were taking testosterone for a year were also on par with cisgender men and in one study they were able to complete more sit-ups in a given time than the average cis man. (No one seems to complain that trans men have a biological advantage over cis men). For trans women, it’s really a lose lose situation, if they transition physically, they are often unable to compete in men’s sports at the same level, but if they succeed in women’s sports they are accused of cheating and dominating the sport.
The Brownes cite many examples of trans women being portrayed in the media as trying to take over women’s sports and steal all of their medals and take opportunities from cis women. In many of these cases the elite athletes were already at the top of their given divisions before their transitions so it makes sense that after their transition they are still high preforming athletes. When we look at the events they have competed in, (races are won by a few milliseconds and currently no trans woman has shattered records set by cisgender women.) there are no results that indicate that simply being trans is giving these people an advantage.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the topic, both for academic interest and for some talking points to discuss with your government representatives to let them know it is unacceptable to continue banning trans people from from sports.
Update: here’s a link to a meta analysis that looks at the results of 52 studies on transgender athletes https://bmjgroup.com/physical-fitness...
The structure is a little wonky as chapters are grouped by topic when I think it would have made more sense chronologically or maybe by sport? The authors also had the tendency to make wide sweeping statements about what is right or wrong when they could have let the reader come to their own conclusions. But over all I found the book to be very informative and persuasive!
I know everyone isn’t going to read this book. (even thought they should!) So I’ve summarized the key arguments that the authors are making which will hopefully entice you to read more!
For starters the argument for the exclusion of trans athletes hangs on three key assumptions that actually have nothing to do with trans people. 1 that women are inherently weaker than men, 2 that it is possible to cleanly define a “biological woman” and 3 that sports should be/can be/currently are fair for all players.
1. Women are inherently weaker.
Defining strength/weakness is really context specific. It matters more in single person events like weight lifting or running where the person is pushing the limits of their own bodies but training and aptitude still plays a big role. The book uses the example of Usain Bolt, whose race times in 800m are actually slower than many of the top women’s times. One on one competitive sports like boxing often have co-ed sparing for training with no concerns about men’s strength. As well, matches are already divided to pair people of similar strengths using factors such as weight, height, and skill level within a gendered category. In team sports, the combination of a player skills and their cooperation with each other is usually more important than an individuals speed or strength.
2. “Biological” Women are one thing.
Using “biological” to refer to women and men is an interesting dog whistle for transphobes. It assumes that biology proves that there are only two genders. But when we look at the science, genitalia, chromosomes, and hormones align less often than we think they do (let alone body, expression and gender identity) and often people who do have intersex characteristics don’t know until they go through testing. Claiming that any specific trait defines a biological man/woman in order to exclude trans people inevitably ends up excluding cisgender people as well. Interestingly enough, men’s sports never seem to have a problem with people who have different hormone levels (cis or trans) gaining an unfair advantage.
3. Sports are fair.
Unfortunately every player does not come to sports with the same advantages. Economic and class differences play a huge role in who gets training from an early age and who has the money (putting a kid through hockey can cost tens of thousands a year) to continue in a sport. Girls have less opportunities in sports overall and when they play professionally they make vastly less money (for hockey $50,000 a year compared to men who make an average of $3 million a year) which means they don’t get as many resources for their training. Even the month a player is born in can give them an edge (people born in January make up something like 30-50% of elite hockey players because of the cut off times for kids divisions are in January and at a young age a few months gives them a big advantage over kids born later on in December.)
I think that seriously considering these three factors makes enough of an argument to just let people play sports in which ever categories make them the most comfortable, especially for youth who mostly play for fun, exercise and social reasons. Competing against people of all genders would probably make all athletes play better.
The authors talk about how it doesn’t make sense to have one sweeping policy for all trans athletes, but they also express a frustration that by allowing sports organizations to individually set their own guidelines, the sports governing bodies absolve themselves of their responsibility to protect trans players from discrimination and allow for the flip flopping that we see around these policies (which usually happens when a trans woman excels at a sport and the rules are reshuffled to make her ineligible to compete).
So what advantages does a person’s assigned gender at birth and their hormones during puberty actually make? This was the part I found the most interesting, though it comes with a caveat. Many of the studies that have been done, particularly on trans people have a very small sample size (one was as small as 8 women but most were between 30-100 people) so it’s hard to say conclusively, but more studies aren’t going to happen because people just want to ban trans women from sports regardless of the science. The book also looks at the performance of individual trans people who are competing at various levels. Nearly all of the vitriol circulating right now is aimed at trans women competing, but the examples of trans men are just as interesting.
Based on the evidence the book provides, girls and boys before puberty perform very similarly, with boys participating in sports in larger numbers, but girls preforming slightly better. This is likely attributed to cultural expectations that boys should play sports but that girls should focus more and work harder than boys. When puberty starts those who go through testosterone based puberty will typically become taller and develop their muscles faster (this is not the case for every individual, there are plenty of short boys and strong girls). There’s really no reason to separate kids’ sports by gender before puberty except for cultural norms.
Many sports organizations base their trans policies on what kind of puberty the individual went through so if young trans kids are lucky enough to transition early they shouldn’t experience any marked difference when playing in the category that matches their gender. (Here in Alberta they have just used the notwithstanding clause to ban trans people from sports AND trans youth from transitioning before they are 18 so that’s fun.)
Another common basis for deciding if a trans woman can compete in the women’s category is how long she’s been been taking hormone therapy. It seems like within 4-12 months of taking estrogen and suppressing testosterone a woman’s overall strength declines as much as 30%. Typically her sports performance is in about the same tier in the women’s category as it was in the men’s category. One study showed that trans womens’ performance was on par with cis womens’ in every category except for running where their times were a little faster on average. One woman referred to taking estrogen as reverse doping and that it’s very difficult to train while taking a drug that suppresses muscle mass. Interestingly trans men who were taking testosterone for a year were also on par with cisgender men and in one study they were able to complete more sit-ups in a given time than the average cis man. (No one seems to complain that trans men have a biological advantage over cis men). For trans women, it’s really a lose lose situation, if they transition physically, they are often unable to compete in men’s sports at the same level, but if they succeed in women’s sports they are accused of cheating and dominating the sport.
The Brownes cite many examples of trans women being portrayed in the media as trying to take over women’s sports and steal all of their medals and take opportunities from cis women. In many of these cases the elite athletes were already at the top of their given divisions before their transitions so it makes sense that after their transition they are still high preforming athletes. When we look at the events they have competed in, (races are won by a few milliseconds and currently no trans woman has shattered records set by cisgender women.) there are no results that indicate that simply being trans is giving these people an advantage.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the topic, both for academic interest and for some talking points to discuss with your government representatives to let them know it is unacceptable to continue banning trans people from from sports.
Update: here’s a link to a meta analysis that looks at the results of 52 studies on transgender athletes https://bmjgroup.com/physical-fitness...
June 2, 2025
How should we engage with the question of gender diverse and transgender participation in sports? This is not simply about answering the question at the heart of the topic itself, but asking ourselves
how
to answer it.
Let's start off with some meta-reflective prompts. What do we really know? Should we shake our heads and toss the text aside, digging our heals in and asserting what we "already know" or "feel in our hearts"? Should we go along with the crowd—whichever crowd we favour—without a second thought? Why are we certain there is an answer? Do we have enough information to say? And on which points in particular? Do we really understand all matters involved, from what it means to be trans and/or gender diverse to what it means to be an athlete or simply a participant in sport?
What I'd like to drive home from the start is the meta-level issue of how we engage with this topic, regardless of whatever position we have, now or in the future.
The authors are attuned to this issue. They are so reflective and in sync with this idea that they admit boldly that it was difficult to write this text, and together, and that the process involved brushing up against uncomfortable assumptions and disagreements and a few shocks when it comes to "what is known" (primarily from a research perspective).
We should enter this text prepared for some level of ambiguity and accept the present unknowns.
Part of the challenge is the sheer lack of research on trans and gender diverse athletes (or really, trans and gender diverse people in general). This is compounded by the small numbers we're dealing with. There are so few trans and gender diverse athletes that running the typical studies we'd need to find generalizable results is extremely difficult. On top of that, one of the uncomfortable truths revealed here is a level of bias in who is motivated to carry out such research. In one case, a runner-researcher who transitioned later in life uses herself as a test subject, part of an already small pool of similar subjects, with some shaky methods that don't account for bias. Yet, this was the best available research at the time.
What we need is research: big numbers, bias-controlled experiments, pre-registered hypotheses, open data, open science.
Sadly, this is not likely to happen any time soon, at least in the cesspool that the States has become. And this is a problem for the world, given the nation's power and participation in global sports. Politics and bigoted scapegoating have killed federal funding in the one place that would normally have all the resources to carry out this work. Hear me: All other nations who can to step up must do so and potentially pool resources to get the work done.
Now let's turn to what we do know.
Contrary to popular belief, scientific evidence does not suggest whether, or to what degree, hormone levels consistently grant competitive advantage.
So, we don't know. They don't know. You don't know. Let's internalize this for now. Let it spark our curiosity. We all want to know!
We can, however, take what little evidence there is, within and beyond science. The authors cover the famous case of Semenya, who is intersex and identifies as a woman. One point struck me, a point that I think makes clear how illusory these ideas of sex and gender really are. The authors write:
Semenya has said that her biology should be praised the same way Michael Phelps's arms are, Michael Jordan's height is, or Usain Bolt's wider-than-average stride is. Nobody is suggesting any measures be taken—certainly not impositions entailing invasive medical procedures or drugs—to address Phelps's, Jordan's, or Bolt's advantages.
When we gender and sex these "biological advantages" in non-cismasculine ways, suddenly they're a problem. That should bring us up short. All this reveals is the privilege of being a gender-conforming cis man with a non-intersex masculine body .... and how vilified all other bodies are.
Another point that struck me is how the conversation is almost exclusively focused on trans women. How about trans men? Here's where sexism enters the picture. "Of course 'women' are no threat!" I loved how the authors tackled this. Did you know that trans men in the US Air Force outperform cis men when it comes to sit-ups? The idea that "a body assigned female at birth is supposed to be weaker than a body assigned male," one that goes through "a testosterone-driven puberty" (a major "reason" why trans women are excluded) is mere sexist slurp. Otherwise, there's a lot of variation that evens out after about a year of testosterone. Why aren't people more excited about Patricio Manuel defeating cis men 3-1? Hm ... think about that.
Yes, hormones seem to matter, although it's complicated. Internalized sexism occurs among trans women who believe that women will get weaker on hormones. But anecdotal accounts from those who move past that mental barrier show that, with effort, they can regain core strength. Examples are covered in the book.
Now, to the main point: Inclusion. The authors roughly divide the problem of inclusion into two: non-pro and pro sports. All of the available evidence is in favour of full inclusion of kids in the sports they want to play, on the (gendered) team they identify with. Read the text for all of the details, including what research is still missing.
On the pro front, what's the solution? We know that bodies differentiate after puberty and in adulthood, for various reasons. We know that hormones play some role, although it's murky and inconsistent (as far as we understand it). There's at least two solutions on the table. One is a gender-free format, where participation is based on skill and body type regardless of gender. Let's not forget that divisions exist in male-dominated sports because when boys grow up, their bodies and abilities change, and they simply can't compete with all other men. The meta-level question here is: Why is this based on gender? On a personal note, this is a solution that I've proposed several times to gentle naysayers, only to have it go in one ear and out the other. If that was you, especially if you claim to "support trans people," pause and reflect: Why are you dismissing this solution? I won't speculate here.
The other option is spaces for trans and gender diverse athletes only: teams, tracks, and events. In fact, this might be the more popular option overall, but for very different reasons. A survey of 2,513 non-binary Canadian youth found that 66% desire this and actually avoid joining team sports because they would have to choose a binary gendered team. But guess what? This has already been tried (e.g., for swimming) and nobody showed up. We can only speculate why at this time.
An inclusion-first mentality, rather than succumbing to a scarcity mentality and creating barriers, is the only way forward.
This is the authors' thesis. Rather than rehash everything in the book, I encourage the reader to read it and read deeply. Let's keep in mind that trans and gender diverse athletes and their allies are typically placed at the lower rungs of power. When powerful nations like Russia, which have deemed LGBTQ+ support "extremism" and imprison supporters, also participate in sports on the international stage, this can drastically shift how trans and gender diverse folk are treated. One hockey player from Russia can refuse to wear a jersey expressing support for queer people on a Pride Night, citing "religious" reasons, causing a ban on all pride-touting across the NHL ... and then a straight cis male player can use his power to wear a pride pin anyways, an excellent display of allyship ... but also a deeply troubling revelation about how little power queer people hold and how easily swayed the masses are towards bigotry.
The authors leave us with a challenge: Name one trans woman athlete who has an Olympic medal. Bet you can't. So, where is the threat of unfairness, really, except in the minds of presumptive bigots? If that's you, I hope that makes you feel very, very uncomfortable ... and prompts you to rethink how you draw conclusions about the world and the most vulnerable people in it.
____
Original post on May 28:
This book is under attack by trolls. I’ll have a proper and certainly more cogent review later.
Let's start off with some meta-reflective prompts. What do we really know? Should we shake our heads and toss the text aside, digging our heals in and asserting what we "already know" or "feel in our hearts"? Should we go along with the crowd—whichever crowd we favour—without a second thought? Why are we certain there is an answer? Do we have enough information to say? And on which points in particular? Do we really understand all matters involved, from what it means to be trans and/or gender diverse to what it means to be an athlete or simply a participant in sport?
What I'd like to drive home from the start is the meta-level issue of how we engage with this topic, regardless of whatever position we have, now or in the future.
The authors are attuned to this issue. They are so reflective and in sync with this idea that they admit boldly that it was difficult to write this text, and together, and that the process involved brushing up against uncomfortable assumptions and disagreements and a few shocks when it comes to "what is known" (primarily from a research perspective).
We should enter this text prepared for some level of ambiguity and accept the present unknowns.
Part of the challenge is the sheer lack of research on trans and gender diverse athletes (or really, trans and gender diverse people in general). This is compounded by the small numbers we're dealing with. There are so few trans and gender diverse athletes that running the typical studies we'd need to find generalizable results is extremely difficult. On top of that, one of the uncomfortable truths revealed here is a level of bias in who is motivated to carry out such research. In one case, a runner-researcher who transitioned later in life uses herself as a test subject, part of an already small pool of similar subjects, with some shaky methods that don't account for bias. Yet, this was the best available research at the time.
What we need is research: big numbers, bias-controlled experiments, pre-registered hypotheses, open data, open science.
Sadly, this is not likely to happen any time soon, at least in the cesspool that the States has become. And this is a problem for the world, given the nation's power and participation in global sports. Politics and bigoted scapegoating have killed federal funding in the one place that would normally have all the resources to carry out this work. Hear me: All other nations who can to step up must do so and potentially pool resources to get the work done.
Now let's turn to what we do know.
Contrary to popular belief, scientific evidence does not suggest whether, or to what degree, hormone levels consistently grant competitive advantage.
So, we don't know. They don't know. You don't know. Let's internalize this for now. Let it spark our curiosity. We all want to know!
We can, however, take what little evidence there is, within and beyond science. The authors cover the famous case of Semenya, who is intersex and identifies as a woman. One point struck me, a point that I think makes clear how illusory these ideas of sex and gender really are. The authors write:
Semenya has said that her biology should be praised the same way Michael Phelps's arms are, Michael Jordan's height is, or Usain Bolt's wider-than-average stride is. Nobody is suggesting any measures be taken—certainly not impositions entailing invasive medical procedures or drugs—to address Phelps's, Jordan's, or Bolt's advantages.
When we gender and sex these "biological advantages" in non-cismasculine ways, suddenly they're a problem. That should bring us up short. All this reveals is the privilege of being a gender-conforming cis man with a non-intersex masculine body .... and how vilified all other bodies are.
Another point that struck me is how the conversation is almost exclusively focused on trans women. How about trans men? Here's where sexism enters the picture. "Of course 'women' are no threat!" I loved how the authors tackled this. Did you know that trans men in the US Air Force outperform cis men when it comes to sit-ups? The idea that "a body assigned female at birth is supposed to be weaker than a body assigned male," one that goes through "a testosterone-driven puberty" (a major "reason" why trans women are excluded) is mere sexist slurp. Otherwise, there's a lot of variation that evens out after about a year of testosterone. Why aren't people more excited about Patricio Manuel defeating cis men 3-1? Hm ... think about that.
Yes, hormones seem to matter, although it's complicated. Internalized sexism occurs among trans women who believe that women will get weaker on hormones. But anecdotal accounts from those who move past that mental barrier show that, with effort, they can regain core strength. Examples are covered in the book.
Now, to the main point: Inclusion. The authors roughly divide the problem of inclusion into two: non-pro and pro sports. All of the available evidence is in favour of full inclusion of kids in the sports they want to play, on the (gendered) team they identify with. Read the text for all of the details, including what research is still missing.
On the pro front, what's the solution? We know that bodies differentiate after puberty and in adulthood, for various reasons. We know that hormones play some role, although it's murky and inconsistent (as far as we understand it). There's at least two solutions on the table. One is a gender-free format, where participation is based on skill and body type regardless of gender. Let's not forget that divisions exist in male-dominated sports because when boys grow up, their bodies and abilities change, and they simply can't compete with all other men. The meta-level question here is: Why is this based on gender? On a personal note, this is a solution that I've proposed several times to gentle naysayers, only to have it go in one ear and out the other. If that was you, especially if you claim to "support trans people," pause and reflect: Why are you dismissing this solution? I won't speculate here.
The other option is spaces for trans and gender diverse athletes only: teams, tracks, and events. In fact, this might be the more popular option overall, but for very different reasons. A survey of 2,513 non-binary Canadian youth found that 66% desire this and actually avoid joining team sports because they would have to choose a binary gendered team. But guess what? This has already been tried (e.g., for swimming) and nobody showed up. We can only speculate why at this time.
An inclusion-first mentality, rather than succumbing to a scarcity mentality and creating barriers, is the only way forward.
This is the authors' thesis. Rather than rehash everything in the book, I encourage the reader to read it and read deeply. Let's keep in mind that trans and gender diverse athletes and their allies are typically placed at the lower rungs of power. When powerful nations like Russia, which have deemed LGBTQ+ support "extremism" and imprison supporters, also participate in sports on the international stage, this can drastically shift how trans and gender diverse folk are treated. One hockey player from Russia can refuse to wear a jersey expressing support for queer people on a Pride Night, citing "religious" reasons, causing a ban on all pride-touting across the NHL ... and then a straight cis male player can use his power to wear a pride pin anyways, an excellent display of allyship ... but also a deeply troubling revelation about how little power queer people hold and how easily swayed the masses are towards bigotry.
The authors leave us with a challenge: Name one trans woman athlete who has an Olympic medal. Bet you can't. So, where is the threat of unfairness, really, except in the minds of presumptive bigots? If that's you, I hope that makes you feel very, very uncomfortable ... and prompts you to rethink how you draw conclusions about the world and the most vulnerable people in it.
____
Original post on May 28:
This book is under attack by trolls. I’ll have a proper and certainly more cogent review later.
November 14, 2025
A valuable read, co-written by a transgender former professional hockey player and his journalist sister, this encompasses elements of memoir with a more journalistic exploration of the inclusion of trans and non-binary people in sport. The authors add much needed nuance and reflection. Some things I appreciated reading:
- the authors situate the current ‘debate’ about trans athletes within the framework of past ‘moral panics,’ ie media focusing attention on behaviour by a group of people, with a gap between the perceived and actual threat, with the resultant hysteria potentially leading to far-reaching legal changes
- the diverse experiences of past and present trans and non-binary athletes, as well as young trans and non-binary people and their families who just want them to be able to benefit from all sport has to offer
- an interesting exploration of what ‘fairness’ in sport really means, noting for example the impact of socioeconomic backgrounds and even birth month on success and performance
- the lack of robust data on the relationship between hormones and athletic performance (not surprising that when policymakers and others wade in with what they insist is common sense, it’s not always grounded in the evidence)
- teasing apart some of the biases in the idea that women in sport must be ‘protected’ by the exclusion of trans people
- reflection on and discussion of locker room culture, both the negatives and the positives
- thinking about what sport is actually for, and what it can do for those involved, beyond a narrow focus on winning, including increasing people’s sense of comfort in their own bodies and inclusion within communities and peer groups.
Lots of helpful information and food for thought and conversation. It also made me really sad that even in the brief time since this was published, the situation has deteriorated so dishearteningly. I looked up a couple of the families of trans kids who spoke with the authors, and see they are now feeling compelled to leave their homes and move to new states. The authors also write about swimmer Lia Thomas, who became the focus of so much anti-trans rhetoric, and whose swimming records have since been erased. I hope people will read this book and share insights from it.
- the authors situate the current ‘debate’ about trans athletes within the framework of past ‘moral panics,’ ie media focusing attention on behaviour by a group of people, with a gap between the perceived and actual threat, with the resultant hysteria potentially leading to far-reaching legal changes
- the diverse experiences of past and present trans and non-binary athletes, as well as young trans and non-binary people and their families who just want them to be able to benefit from all sport has to offer
- an interesting exploration of what ‘fairness’ in sport really means, noting for example the impact of socioeconomic backgrounds and even birth month on success and performance
- the lack of robust data on the relationship between hormones and athletic performance (not surprising that when policymakers and others wade in with what they insist is common sense, it’s not always grounded in the evidence)
- teasing apart some of the biases in the idea that women in sport must be ‘protected’ by the exclusion of trans people
- reflection on and discussion of locker room culture, both the negatives and the positives
- thinking about what sport is actually for, and what it can do for those involved, beyond a narrow focus on winning, including increasing people’s sense of comfort in their own bodies and inclusion within communities and peer groups.
Lots of helpful information and food for thought and conversation. It also made me really sad that even in the brief time since this was published, the situation has deteriorated so dishearteningly. I looked up a couple of the families of trans kids who spoke with the authors, and see they are now feeling compelled to leave their homes and move to new states. The authors also write about swimmer Lia Thomas, who became the focus of so much anti-trans rhetoric, and whose swimming records have since been erased. I hope people will read this book and share insights from it.
June 2, 2025
Harrison and Rachel haven’t written a book that does an incredible job of teaching and relaying information in a digestible way. I’ve always felt scared to engage in debate around these topics because I felt I didn’t know enough facts to support my thoughts. This book equipments me with the tools to do so. Plus it’s just an engaging read!
November 1, 2025
This book presents an interesting narrative on inclusion and identity within the world of sports. While Harrison’s personal journey offers valuable insight, the book’s discussion of athletic equity would have benefited from a more comprehensive consideration of biological differences between male and female athletes. These physiological distinctions are central to ongoing debates about fairness and competition, and a balanced exploration of both scientific and social dimensions could have strengthened the overall argument.
The narrative assumes that gender is entirely a social construct, dismissing biological data that contradict this claim. There was barely any discussion on the fact that biological males generally have stronger grip strength, bigger lungs and larger wingspans. Those are just a few of the many biological differences between men and women. By erasing biological distinctions, the book inadvertently undermines fairness in women’s sports, promoting ideology over objective standards.
The authors themselves acknowledge that a majority of Americans oppose trans women competing against biological women. Rather than reflecting on the underlying reasons for this widespread sentiment, they appear intent on persuading the public to adopt their own ideological position. Although the authors claim to welcome open dialogue, the tone of the book suggests otherwise, often dismissing dissenting views with moral superiority. Furthermore, the text contains several passive-aggressive remarks regarding race and gender. For example, the authors criticize the racial composition of professional hockey for being predominantly white, yet they neglect to note that leagues such as the NBA and NFL are overwhelmingly black, an inconsistency that undermines the credibility of their argument.
Additionally, the authors assert that “very few cisgender men could beat Serena Williams at tennis,” a claim for which they provide no empirical evidence. This statement is presented as fact despite the absence of supporting data. Notably, Serena Williams herself has acknowledged the inherent physical differences between the men’s and women’s games, openly stating that male players serve harder, hit with greater power, and play at a faster pace.
Ultimately, Let Us Play reads less as a fair-minded discussion and more as an ideological manifesto. The authors dismiss legitimate public concerns about fairness in women’s sports while promoting unsubstantiated claims as fact. Their unwillingness to engage with biological realities or counterarguments limits the book’s credibility. What could have been a nuanced exploration of inclusion and competition instead becomes an exercise in advocacy, reflecting conviction rather than critical thought.
The narrative assumes that gender is entirely a social construct, dismissing biological data that contradict this claim. There was barely any discussion on the fact that biological males generally have stronger grip strength, bigger lungs and larger wingspans. Those are just a few of the many biological differences between men and women. By erasing biological distinctions, the book inadvertently undermines fairness in women’s sports, promoting ideology over objective standards.
The authors themselves acknowledge that a majority of Americans oppose trans women competing against biological women. Rather than reflecting on the underlying reasons for this widespread sentiment, they appear intent on persuading the public to adopt their own ideological position. Although the authors claim to welcome open dialogue, the tone of the book suggests otherwise, often dismissing dissenting views with moral superiority. Furthermore, the text contains several passive-aggressive remarks regarding race and gender. For example, the authors criticize the racial composition of professional hockey for being predominantly white, yet they neglect to note that leagues such as the NBA and NFL are overwhelmingly black, an inconsistency that undermines the credibility of their argument.
Additionally, the authors assert that “very few cisgender men could beat Serena Williams at tennis,” a claim for which they provide no empirical evidence. This statement is presented as fact despite the absence of supporting data. Notably, Serena Williams herself has acknowledged the inherent physical differences between the men’s and women’s games, openly stating that male players serve harder, hit with greater power, and play at a faster pace.
Ultimately, Let Us Play reads less as a fair-minded discussion and more as an ideological manifesto. The authors dismiss legitimate public concerns about fairness in women’s sports while promoting unsubstantiated claims as fact. Their unwillingness to engage with biological realities or counterarguments limits the book’s credibility. What could have been a nuanced exploration of inclusion and competition instead becomes an exercise in advocacy, reflecting conviction rather than critical thought.
June 26, 2025
I received a free advance copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
I am glad to have read this book, simply because now I know I can recommend it to others. I am not the target audience, because I already strongly support trans people being able to compete in sports in the area that best fits their gender, and I'm already aware of most of the cases and scientific studied brought up (and even some studies that came out after it was written.) So I didn't need any convincing from this book, I see it more as a tool I can share with others who have doubts or don't fully understand the topic.
Harrison and Rachel did a great job of balancing high level discussions of policy and theory against individual stories that help humanize. I appreciated Harrison's story and input throughout the book because trans men are left out of the discussion so often. And I'm guilty of that exclusion too, because I'd never really considered the point of view of a trans man required to quit his sport in order to make the changes needed to be comfortable in his body. All the media focuses on are trans women, who are considered unfit to join women's sports no matter how much they change.
The greatest weakness of this book is something that is out of its control: the speed with which everything is changing. It was written in 2023 so does not have the latest studies or responses to the shitstorm that trans rights are experiencing in 2025.
Like I said I believe this book will be something valuable to recommend to people I encounter who are unsure or want to hear the trans positive side of the argument- the people who say "I support trans people, BUT..." More hardcore anti-trans people won't care about any scientific evidence or examples of harm. You can tell that by the negative reviews on this book (likely by people who haven't read it). But it's great tool to have available when having good faith conversations.
I am glad to have read this book, simply because now I know I can recommend it to others. I am not the target audience, because I already strongly support trans people being able to compete in sports in the area that best fits their gender, and I'm already aware of most of the cases and scientific studied brought up (and even some studies that came out after it was written.) So I didn't need any convincing from this book, I see it more as a tool I can share with others who have doubts or don't fully understand the topic.
Harrison and Rachel did a great job of balancing high level discussions of policy and theory against individual stories that help humanize. I appreciated Harrison's story and input throughout the book because trans men are left out of the discussion so often. And I'm guilty of that exclusion too, because I'd never really considered the point of view of a trans man required to quit his sport in order to make the changes needed to be comfortable in his body. All the media focuses on are trans women, who are considered unfit to join women's sports no matter how much they change.
The greatest weakness of this book is something that is out of its control: the speed with which everything is changing. It was written in 2023 so does not have the latest studies or responses to the shitstorm that trans rights are experiencing in 2025.
Like I said I believe this book will be something valuable to recommend to people I encounter who are unsure or want to hear the trans positive side of the argument- the people who say "I support trans people, BUT..." More hardcore anti-trans people won't care about any scientific evidence or examples of harm. You can tell that by the negative reviews on this book (likely by people who haven't read it). But it's great tool to have available when having good faith conversations.
April 1, 2026
As someone who doesn't care about sports at all but cares about queer and trans people immensely, I'm really glad I read this. It was full of valuable perspectives, information, and research (and pointing out the lack thereof), and was written in such a way that I could stay engaged even though I struggle reading nonfiction. Really excellent.
May 31, 2026
Everyone needs to read this book. It’s so important and eye-opening and I hope it creates change in sports
April 27, 2026
I picked this up hoping that it would help resolve my own reservations surrounding this discussion, and was pleasantly surprised to see my opinions swayed!
The Browne siblings provide a well rounded discussion that is equal parts empathetic call-in and firm condemnation of casual transphobia by people on the left. Also, huge kudos for citing the research that exists AND acknowledging its shortcomings that need addressed in the future. Highly recommend, especially to those on the fence.
The Browne siblings provide a well rounded discussion that is equal parts empathetic call-in and firm condemnation of casual transphobia by people on the left. Also, huge kudos for citing the research that exists AND acknowledging its shortcomings that need addressed in the future. Highly recommend, especially to those on the fence.
March 28, 2026
Let Us Play centers a handful of trans athletes in various sports, which a special focus on hockey, as that was the primary sport of one of the co-authors. Discussing these athletes' experiences in professional and college sports and the environment they have found there was very enlightening (and disheartening). The authors tear apart most of the existent gender inclusion policies that exist in various sport circles right now, from the IOC to the NCAA and beyond, and show how inconsistent and arbitrary they are.
I personally found the discussion of Title IX really interesting, including the quote from the ASU professor: "The original intent and interpretation of Title IX focused on equal opportunity and the idea that sport is educational, that all students have a civil right that is to be protected... There's nothing about Title IX that's protecting the right to win or to be elite in sport." That being said, the authors then go on to discuss in detail how trans women are not dominating in women's categories and the (non-existent) "right" to even competition for cis women is not under threat. At the same time, they do include anecdotes from trans men and trans women about how much hormone therapy changed the athletic experience in their bodies. So it started to feel a little inconsistent.
The main reason I'm going four stars here is that I think there was a lot more to be said, and what was said was often redundant. I feel like it unintentionally shortchanged their argument and made it seem like all that is relevant here is one single Harvard study and the thoughts and feelings of trans athletes. Which are very important! And I am 100% for fully integrated trans participation in sports! I just think the argumentation itself was a little shallow here. It gave a preaching to the choir vibe. The book is mid, but it was insightful, and the issue is a very real one today.
Overall, unlike a lot of the people I see in these reviews, I play ice hockey in a women's league with a lot of trans people and they're some of my favorite teammates. The only ones dominating are dominating because they are a lot freaking better at hockey than I am, plain and simple. I picked up this book because USA Hockey chose violence this year and decided to ban trans men entirely from gender specific competition and restrict trans women from women's leagues which is not a thing that a single women's league in the country asked for. How do I know? I run women's hockey leagues, and I have talked with dozens of leagues across the country about this issue. So even now that USA Hockey has given us a backdoor to continue as we have been and remain in compliance, it doesn't solve the issue that they left their policy to stand as written. Of all the issues in the world today, this is where our government has chosen to spend their energy. We all just want to play hockey; it's really not that deep.
I personally found the discussion of Title IX really interesting, including the quote from the ASU professor: "The original intent and interpretation of Title IX focused on equal opportunity and the idea that sport is educational, that all students have a civil right that is to be protected... There's nothing about Title IX that's protecting the right to win or to be elite in sport." That being said, the authors then go on to discuss in detail how trans women are not dominating in women's categories and the (non-existent) "right" to even competition for cis women is not under threat. At the same time, they do include anecdotes from trans men and trans women about how much hormone therapy changed the athletic experience in their bodies. So it started to feel a little inconsistent.
The main reason I'm going four stars here is that I think there was a lot more to be said, and what was said was often redundant. I feel like it unintentionally shortchanged their argument and made it seem like all that is relevant here is one single Harvard study and the thoughts and feelings of trans athletes. Which are very important! And I am 100% for fully integrated trans participation in sports! I just think the argumentation itself was a little shallow here. It gave a preaching to the choir vibe. The book is mid, but it was insightful, and the issue is a very real one today.
Overall, unlike a lot of the people I see in these reviews, I play ice hockey in a women's league with a lot of trans people and they're some of my favorite teammates. The only ones dominating are dominating because they are a lot freaking better at hockey than I am, plain and simple. I picked up this book because USA Hockey chose violence this year and decided to ban trans men entirely from gender specific competition and restrict trans women from women's leagues which is not a thing that a single women's league in the country asked for. How do I know? I run women's hockey leagues, and I have talked with dozens of leagues across the country about this issue. So even now that USA Hockey has given us a backdoor to continue as we have been and remain in compliance, it doesn't solve the issue that they left their policy to stand as written. Of all the issues in the world today, this is where our government has chosen to spend their energy. We all just want to play hockey; it's really not that deep.
February 5, 2026
I genuinely can't say enough good stuff about this book like i don't care who you are, if you don't care about sports, etc. this is such an amazing read. incredibly informative, easy to understand, and completely dispels all of the transphobic myths that are being pushed by the current administration, current sports governing bodies, and transphobic grifters. If you even have any reservations about trans women playing in women's sports, i HIGHLY recommend this book, i mean it!!!
There are so many great studies in this book that show time and time again that trans athletes don't have any of this "insane" athletic advantage that transphobes constantly bitch about, and that this obsession with hormones/trans bodies that conservatives have it not only deeply misguided but obviously deranged and insidious. I'm also guilty of having bought into the conspiracy theories that transphobes pass around, and I learned that the supposed connection between testosterone levels and athletic performance is not concretely proven. Also learned that there isn't a huge difference between athletes who have undergone testosterone-driven puberty and those who haven't. ALSO learned that these chromosomal tests that "prove" someone's gender aren't scientifically conclusive.
ALSO ALSO just in case anyone wants to know, it took until 2000 to end mandatory gender testing for women which is fucking psychotic. like ok so obviously none of this is about protecting women and its all about policing women's bodies!!! If i see one more cis woman bitching about how it's soooo unfair that they have to compete against trans women, or "oh my god, i'm in danger" why don't you grow up, train harder, and get this internalized misogyny out of my face.
literally such a good read, cannot recommend enough, i took several pages of notes i love this book so much.
There are so many great studies in this book that show time and time again that trans athletes don't have any of this "insane" athletic advantage that transphobes constantly bitch about, and that this obsession with hormones/trans bodies that conservatives have it not only deeply misguided but obviously deranged and insidious. I'm also guilty of having bought into the conspiracy theories that transphobes pass around, and I learned that the supposed connection between testosterone levels and athletic performance is not concretely proven. Also learned that there isn't a huge difference between athletes who have undergone testosterone-driven puberty and those who haven't. ALSO learned that these chromosomal tests that "prove" someone's gender aren't scientifically conclusive.
ALSO ALSO just in case anyone wants to know, it took until 2000 to end mandatory gender testing for women which is fucking psychotic. like ok so obviously none of this is about protecting women and its all about policing women's bodies!!! If i see one more cis woman bitching about how it's soooo unfair that they have to compete against trans women, or "oh my god, i'm in danger" why don't you grow up, train harder, and get this internalized misogyny out of my face.
literally such a good read, cannot recommend enough, i took several pages of notes i love this book so much.
June 29, 2026
This was very heartfelt and very informative. Good read for anyone, you don’t need to know everything before diving in.
I cried many times while reading, including during Harrison’s introduction. Things are changing so fast and you can tell the data in this book comes from 2024 and before. While things get worse, this books remains hopeful and that made it easy to read even when the subject matter was frankly enraging.
The way transphobia is rooted in misogyny was perfectly expounded. For me it is different to read this after becoming a fan of the PWHL and finding a space in sports where I, a queer woman, can actually fit. I really like how this book was truly intersectional, talking about race and economic status.
The blend between the two writing styles wasn’t seamless and that is the only reason why this wasn’t a five stars.
I cried many times while reading, including during Harrison’s introduction. Things are changing so fast and you can tell the data in this book comes from 2024 and before. While things get worse, this books remains hopeful and that made it easy to read even when the subject matter was frankly enraging.
The way transphobia is rooted in misogyny was perfectly expounded. For me it is different to read this after becoming a fan of the PWHL and finding a space in sports where I, a queer woman, can actually fit. I really like how this book was truly intersectional, talking about race and economic status.
The blend between the two writing styles wasn’t seamless and that is the only reason why this wasn’t a five stars.
March 22, 2026
Amazing. It was hard to read about all the transphobia that athletes experienced but it ended positively. I really liked how Browne reflected on and reckoned with his own sexism around women athletes. I bought the audiobook but I’m also going to buy a physical copy so I can get some people in my life to read it. The only way the audiobook could have been better is if Harrison Browne narrated it himself.
June 21, 2026
I'm going to clockwork orange this book into the eyeballs of every dipshit who got initiative 638 onto WA's ballot this year and every initiative of its ilk
July 4, 2026
When purchasing this book, I had zero inclination as to what it was actually about. I thought it would be a fictional or story based novel centered around the life of a trans man who played hockey. I was completely wrong. Instead, this is a book that delves into the mistreatment, policies, and stories of trans athletes , both men and women. Personally, while I've always held the stance of supporting transgender individuals, I have to admit I've never given their experiences much thought--not in a malicious way, but in the sense that it is a unique experience I have no way of relating to and therefore never thought very deeply about it.
I haven't actually read a book in quite a while and I'm sure the last one I did was a fictional one. The literature I've found myself most interested in were fictional stories--noneducational texts really. This preference stemmed from the few experiences I've had engaging with nonfiction texts, specifically scientific articles and studies assigned as required reading for my classes. From those experiences, I believed I had a general distaste for any sort of work that was nonfiction. While I do believe I was able to understand and leave with a thoughtful take away from those readings, it's certainly not something I heavily enjoyed nor was it an experience I would want to undergo for an entire book. "Let us Play" is nothing like a scientific journal though. In general, I think I am willing to and actually enjoy engaging with educational material when the author is writing for or willing to indulge an audience not made up of experts or peers.
All that to say, I really enjoyed this book and I found a lot of beliefs I held were challenged and changed throughout the course of it.
Prior to reading this book, if someone were to ask my opinion on the inclusion of trans athletes in sport, I would've answered with a blanket statement. Of course they should be allowed to participate. I'm not trans and I've never been interested in sports a day in my life so I truly had no idea the nuance of this issue. Of course, I still firmly believe that any aspect of an individual's identity whether that be race, gender, or sexuality should not interfere with their ability to participate in activities they enjoy both recreationally and at elite levels. However I find myself thinking much more thoughtfully now.
I think my biggest takeaway from learning more about the debate of trans athletes is that so much of our society is still structured around misogynistic beliefs and practices. As a society, we do not award women the same respect and dignity we give to men. By this I mean both the general approach and reception to women's sports and the inclusion of trans athletes. Often times when you see headlines criticizing a trans athletes achievements or merely existence, more often than not it is a trans woman. The common sentiment is that a trans woman, regardless of however long they have been on hormone changing medication, is still a man and therefore not only has a competitive advantage competing in women's sports, but that they also pose a danger to the sanctity of it as well. This stems from underlying beliefs so many people hold that women are incompetent, that they have to be protected and treated differently because of their sex. You rarely see headlines regarding trans men competing in the men's category and even if you do it is often with significantly less vitriol.
It's disheartening that even elite level female athletes aren't able to escape the hands of misogyny. In fact, they may be at the front lines of it. I think most people have heard a man say that they would be able to beat a top female athlete even if they themselves have no athletic experience beyond running around the neighborhood as kids. The achievements of women in all fields are yet to be taken seriously and I think the way misogyny is still ingrained in our society is a large factor at play with the issue people have with trans women in sports. Many have claimed that the inclusion of trans women is unfair to biological women because they are guaranteed victory and that is merely factually untrue. We have seen trans women compete and not place on numerous occasions. The issue here is confirmation bias, people are only seeking out instances where trans woman have won out over their cisgender competitors and hailing it as a undeniable proof that trans women should be barred from competing in women's sports. But how can you compare headlines when no one wants to write about being disproven, no right wing organization will take the time to write subjective texts about how trans women, like most other athletes win some and lose some.
Another argument people have is that the inclusion of trans women in sports makes it unfair, which is inherently unsportsmanlike and to that I have to say that sports were never fair. It doesn't matter if everyone is governed by the same rules once the clock starts because the experiences and privileges and luck that each athlete experiences makes competition inherently unfair. Most athletes start their sport when they're incredibly young and it is well known some sports have an incredibly high entry cost. It's a known phenomenon that underprivileged kids tend to compete in categories that are more accessible such as track and soccer instead of skiing or hockey. More than that, the opportunities athletes are able to afford--nutrition, coaching, facilities--are all a factor in their performance. The field was never level and it's hard to believe that people are genuinely attributing the success of trans women athletes to one factor--testosterone.
Most policies regarding the inclusion of trans women in women's sports revolve around testosterone levels and through this book I have learned it is a severely under researched topic. We simply do not have the data to make definitive decisions, life altering decisions, on whether someone should be allowed to play based on their levels of testosterone. This goes back to my earlier point that sports are inherently unfair. So many elite athletes are where they are because biologically, their genetics simply give them an upper hand. Micheal Phelps, for example, is considered to have been born to swim because his unique genetic makeup gives him certain advantages. Some women naturally have higher testosterone levels and this book did delve into how requiring all female athletes to maintain a certain testosterone level ends up hurting women--all women.
In terms of what I think should be done is simply to practice empathy. So many of the policies I discovered through reading this book seemed to lack this quality. From the regulations women were under during the early Olympics which included genital inspections to the still current stance of World Aquatics that trans women were barred from competing. These governing bodies genuinely seems incapable of holding empathy for people unlike them. There was a case mentioned in the book of a trans woman in a small Canadian women's college that worked with her administration to have an exception to the one year hormone replacement rule so she could play volleyball. While unfortunately I do not think this is an exception that all trans athletes can be granted, and likely none will be at the elite level, the sentiment here is what is important. This college took into consideration what this student was going through and worked with her so she could live her best life. They empathized with her and granted her dignity and respect. That's the biggest thing sport's governing organizations seem to be lacking. In the name of preserving the so called "sanctity" of women's sports, they are instead dehumanizing both trans athletes and the women they are supposedly protecting.
This book, although eye opening, is still only an introduction into the setbacks and discrimination trans athletes face just trying to do what they love. I still don't have a concrete idea of what kind of regulations would truly make everyone happy and be fair, but I do know that trans athletes deserve to pursue their aspirations and I am definitely interested in learning and hearing more about this topic going forward.
A sort of semi related question this book sparked in me is the sentiment some women hold that trans women are taking away their opportunities. Where does this belief stem from? As a woman myself, I've never had these thoughts but I'm also not a competitive athlete. Is there merit to this fear? I'm not saying it's right but I do think it is a discussion that should be had openly to sort of pinpoint where these thoughts are coming from. However, I understand how difficult of a conversation it is to engage in when one side appears to be fearful of the mere existence of trans women. Regardless, I think it's a conversation worth having because at the end of the day we are all women in community together.
I haven't actually read a book in quite a while and I'm sure the last one I did was a fictional one. The literature I've found myself most interested in were fictional stories--noneducational texts really. This preference stemmed from the few experiences I've had engaging with nonfiction texts, specifically scientific articles and studies assigned as required reading for my classes. From those experiences, I believed I had a general distaste for any sort of work that was nonfiction. While I do believe I was able to understand and leave with a thoughtful take away from those readings, it's certainly not something I heavily enjoyed nor was it an experience I would want to undergo for an entire book. "Let us Play" is nothing like a scientific journal though. In general, I think I am willing to and actually enjoy engaging with educational material when the author is writing for or willing to indulge an audience not made up of experts or peers.
All that to say, I really enjoyed this book and I found a lot of beliefs I held were challenged and changed throughout the course of it.
Prior to reading this book, if someone were to ask my opinion on the inclusion of trans athletes in sport, I would've answered with a blanket statement. Of course they should be allowed to participate. I'm not trans and I've never been interested in sports a day in my life so I truly had no idea the nuance of this issue. Of course, I still firmly believe that any aspect of an individual's identity whether that be race, gender, or sexuality should not interfere with their ability to participate in activities they enjoy both recreationally and at elite levels. However I find myself thinking much more thoughtfully now.
I think my biggest takeaway from learning more about the debate of trans athletes is that so much of our society is still structured around misogynistic beliefs and practices. As a society, we do not award women the same respect and dignity we give to men. By this I mean both the general approach and reception to women's sports and the inclusion of trans athletes. Often times when you see headlines criticizing a trans athletes achievements or merely existence, more often than not it is a trans woman. The common sentiment is that a trans woman, regardless of however long they have been on hormone changing medication, is still a man and therefore not only has a competitive advantage competing in women's sports, but that they also pose a danger to the sanctity of it as well. This stems from underlying beliefs so many people hold that women are incompetent, that they have to be protected and treated differently because of their sex. You rarely see headlines regarding trans men competing in the men's category and even if you do it is often with significantly less vitriol.
It's disheartening that even elite level female athletes aren't able to escape the hands of misogyny. In fact, they may be at the front lines of it. I think most people have heard a man say that they would be able to beat a top female athlete even if they themselves have no athletic experience beyond running around the neighborhood as kids. The achievements of women in all fields are yet to be taken seriously and I think the way misogyny is still ingrained in our society is a large factor at play with the issue people have with trans women in sports. Many have claimed that the inclusion of trans women is unfair to biological women because they are guaranteed victory and that is merely factually untrue. We have seen trans women compete and not place on numerous occasions. The issue here is confirmation bias, people are only seeking out instances where trans woman have won out over their cisgender competitors and hailing it as a undeniable proof that trans women should be barred from competing in women's sports. But how can you compare headlines when no one wants to write about being disproven, no right wing organization will take the time to write subjective texts about how trans women, like most other athletes win some and lose some.
Another argument people have is that the inclusion of trans women in sports makes it unfair, which is inherently unsportsmanlike and to that I have to say that sports were never fair. It doesn't matter if everyone is governed by the same rules once the clock starts because the experiences and privileges and luck that each athlete experiences makes competition inherently unfair. Most athletes start their sport when they're incredibly young and it is well known some sports have an incredibly high entry cost. It's a known phenomenon that underprivileged kids tend to compete in categories that are more accessible such as track and soccer instead of skiing or hockey. More than that, the opportunities athletes are able to afford--nutrition, coaching, facilities--are all a factor in their performance. The field was never level and it's hard to believe that people are genuinely attributing the success of trans women athletes to one factor--testosterone.
Most policies regarding the inclusion of trans women in women's sports revolve around testosterone levels and through this book I have learned it is a severely under researched topic. We simply do not have the data to make definitive decisions, life altering decisions, on whether someone should be allowed to play based on their levels of testosterone. This goes back to my earlier point that sports are inherently unfair. So many elite athletes are where they are because biologically, their genetics simply give them an upper hand. Micheal Phelps, for example, is considered to have been born to swim because his unique genetic makeup gives him certain advantages. Some women naturally have higher testosterone levels and this book did delve into how requiring all female athletes to maintain a certain testosterone level ends up hurting women--all women.
In terms of what I think should be done is simply to practice empathy. So many of the policies I discovered through reading this book seemed to lack this quality. From the regulations women were under during the early Olympics which included genital inspections to the still current stance of World Aquatics that trans women were barred from competing. These governing bodies genuinely seems incapable of holding empathy for people unlike them. There was a case mentioned in the book of a trans woman in a small Canadian women's college that worked with her administration to have an exception to the one year hormone replacement rule so she could play volleyball. While unfortunately I do not think this is an exception that all trans athletes can be granted, and likely none will be at the elite level, the sentiment here is what is important. This college took into consideration what this student was going through and worked with her so she could live her best life. They empathized with her and granted her dignity and respect. That's the biggest thing sport's governing organizations seem to be lacking. In the name of preserving the so called "sanctity" of women's sports, they are instead dehumanizing both trans athletes and the women they are supposedly protecting.
This book, although eye opening, is still only an introduction into the setbacks and discrimination trans athletes face just trying to do what they love. I still don't have a concrete idea of what kind of regulations would truly make everyone happy and be fair, but I do know that trans athletes deserve to pursue their aspirations and I am definitely interested in learning and hearing more about this topic going forward.
A sort of semi related question this book sparked in me is the sentiment some women hold that trans women are taking away their opportunities. Where does this belief stem from? As a woman myself, I've never had these thoughts but I'm also not a competitive athlete. Is there merit to this fear? I'm not saying it's right but I do think it is a discussion that should be had openly to sort of pinpoint where these thoughts are coming from. However, I understand how difficult of a conversation it is to engage in when one side appears to be fearful of the mere existence of trans women. Regardless, I think it's a conversation worth having because at the end of the day we are all women in community together.
May 14, 2026
While this book was an eyeopener for the history of transphobia in sports, its ties to racism and sexism, and the ways the government tries to tear down trans people, it's worth noting that no author is without bias. I don't doubt Browne's intentions were good, but he served a mixed bag of beliefs. He argued in defense of trans athletes to compete with the team that aligned with their gender, while also lamenting that he was no longer allowed to play with the women's team he worked for professionally. I had a hard time following what exactly he was calling for with the ways he contradicted himself at times.
This book is a great field guide for what an inclusive sports world might look like, with examples on how to desegregate a locker room and make leagues more inclusive, but I do wish I heard more from transfem athletes in this book, as it is largely their experiences being legislated and attacked.
This book is a great field guide for what an inclusive sports world might look like, with examples on how to desegregate a locker room and make leagues more inclusive, but I do wish I heard more from transfem athletes in this book, as it is largely their experiences being legislated and attacked.
June 12, 2025
If you’re interested in sports, human rights, gender identity in general or trans issues in particular, and you want to understand the reality rather than the hyper-politicized biases that flood our media, Harrison Browne and Rachel Browne bring the receipts in their concise, readable analysis Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes.
May 9, 2026
i really enjoyed this book. i think the culture surrounding gender diverse athletes and how they’re treated should be explored more in general, and i am glad to have found a book that does just that.
now, i am NOT a sports person. i was on a soccer team for a few years as a tiny child, and i was on the golf team in high school for a month—in general, though, sports were NEVER my thing. sports have a negative association in my mind as something not just full of cruel, unkind people but as something that actively opposed the funding efforts for my passions in high school. the drama department can’t afford costumes, but we’re building a new football field. that sort of thing.
all of this to say: i generally dislike sports and actively avoid looking into sports news or reading anything about sports history.
i did, however, read “envisioning african intersex” as part of my goal to read more books regarding intersex people, and that book mentioned caster semenya frequently. this was also around the time that right-wing talking heads and TERFs were conducting a hate campaign against algerian athlete imane khalif, and i saw it everywhere on twitter. with that book and the vitriol i saw towards khalif, i started caring more about intersex athletes. and that became a gateway to caring more about all kinds of queer athletes.
i am glad that i was never into sports. as a nonbinary person, i’m scarred enough by the reactions of my childhood church’s reaction to me playing a “genderbent” ebenezer scrouge my junior year of high school. this book, however, filled me with both sympathy and hope for gender diverse people who ARE into sports. it feels odd that a book detailing so many issues regarding acceptance and equality would fill me with hope at the end, but something about the way these athletes persist makes me believe that, against all odds, we can one day make these organized sports a source of joy for gender diverse athletes. some may call that hope naive, but the indomitable human spirit is a powerful thing.
overall, while i still do not like sports and find all of it dreadfully boring, this book filled me with a renewed sense of righteous anger, respect, and hope in honor of all of the transgender and intersex athletes in the world.
it’s a wonderful book and very informative. highly recommend!!
now, i am NOT a sports person. i was on a soccer team for a few years as a tiny child, and i was on the golf team in high school for a month—in general, though, sports were NEVER my thing. sports have a negative association in my mind as something not just full of cruel, unkind people but as something that actively opposed the funding efforts for my passions in high school. the drama department can’t afford costumes, but we’re building a new football field. that sort of thing.
all of this to say: i generally dislike sports and actively avoid looking into sports news or reading anything about sports history.
i did, however, read “envisioning african intersex” as part of my goal to read more books regarding intersex people, and that book mentioned caster semenya frequently. this was also around the time that right-wing talking heads and TERFs were conducting a hate campaign against algerian athlete imane khalif, and i saw it everywhere on twitter. with that book and the vitriol i saw towards khalif, i started caring more about intersex athletes. and that became a gateway to caring more about all kinds of queer athletes.
i am glad that i was never into sports. as a nonbinary person, i’m scarred enough by the reactions of my childhood church’s reaction to me playing a “genderbent” ebenezer scrouge my junior year of high school. this book, however, filled me with both sympathy and hope for gender diverse people who ARE into sports. it feels odd that a book detailing so many issues regarding acceptance and equality would fill me with hope at the end, but something about the way these athletes persist makes me believe that, against all odds, we can one day make these organized sports a source of joy for gender diverse athletes. some may call that hope naive, but the indomitable human spirit is a powerful thing.
overall, while i still do not like sports and find all of it dreadfully boring, this book filled me with a renewed sense of righteous anger, respect, and hope in honor of all of the transgender and intersex athletes in the world.
it’s a wonderful book and very informative. highly recommend!!
June 9, 2026
A book very much marketing itself to the cisgender reader. While this is a good overview of the current moral panic about trans athletes, common transphobic talking points and their rebuttals, and a strong call for more inclusive sport, reading it as a trans athlete it felt like information I already knew. I think this would be a good book to recommend to certain progressive individuals in your life whose main source of transphobia is the “just asking questions” skepticism around sports.
Being intended for the audience of cisgender skeptics, this book falls into several rhetorical arguments I dislike, namely the arguments that trans people are a small portion of the population and that trans women do not often win elite competitions they participate in. I am of the opinion that having more people be trans is good so basing the argument off of our low census numbers is misguided (what if more people become trans? what if more trans people than currently decide to pursue sports?). I also think that discriminating against trans women playing is bad no matter how well they are doing (are trans women not allowed to win or strive to win like every other athlete?). Additionally Browne’s argument that trans athletes should be allowed to compete in the division that aligns with their gender is weakened somewhat by his constant discussion about how much he wishes he could still play for his women’s hockey team. While I empathize with his desire for the sense of connection he had (as well as the justified fear of the toxic culture in men’s hockey), we’ve seen several women’s pro sports leagues in 2026 shallowly say their league is trans inclusive bc they allow trans men to compete (unless they medically transition) while banning trans women. I would not call these policies inclusive of trans people and I don’t think the authors of this book would either.
Being intended for the audience of cisgender skeptics, this book falls into several rhetorical arguments I dislike, namely the arguments that trans people are a small portion of the population and that trans women do not often win elite competitions they participate in. I am of the opinion that having more people be trans is good so basing the argument off of our low census numbers is misguided (what if more people become trans? what if more trans people than currently decide to pursue sports?). I also think that discriminating against trans women playing is bad no matter how well they are doing (are trans women not allowed to win or strive to win like every other athlete?). Additionally Browne’s argument that trans athletes should be allowed to compete in the division that aligns with their gender is weakened somewhat by his constant discussion about how much he wishes he could still play for his women’s hockey team. While I empathize with his desire for the sense of connection he had (as well as the justified fear of the toxic culture in men’s hockey), we’ve seen several women’s pro sports leagues in 2026 shallowly say their league is trans inclusive bc they allow trans men to compete (unless they medically transition) while banning trans women. I would not call these policies inclusive of trans people and I don’t think the authors of this book would either.
May 3, 2026
Harrison Browne and Rachel Browne’s Let Us Play is such an important book. Addressing the many inequalities and biases faced by trans athletes, it masterfully blends policy analysis with stories from individuals whose experiences in sports have been impacted by those policies and by the perceptions of people making decisions about who can participate at every level. The writing style is accessible and makes for an engrossing read.
Pointing in particular to the rhetoric of “protecting women in sports,” Browne and Browne skillfully frame the treatment of trans athletes within larger cultural attitudes: “The overall misconception and hysteria regarding trans women participating in sports stems from a lack of understanding of how trans healthcare and sports policies work, and the misogynistic viewpoint that boys are necessarily strong and girls are necessarily delicate.” Further, they highlight broader social issues that limit “access to the best resources” as being a far more impactful source of inequality in sports.
Let Us Play presents a call for inclusion and support for trans athletes, as well as a challenge for allies to go beyond reading to action. And, while several existing studies are referenced, the authors note the dearth of studies including or focused on trans athletes and hope for more in the near future. Finally, advocating for divisions based on skill rather than gender, the authors put forth a clear vision of inclusive sports that are accessible for everyone. In their words: “...we can either continue to allow barriers against those who need sports the most, or open pathways for empathy and an expansion of sports as we know them.”
Pointing in particular to the rhetoric of “protecting women in sports,” Browne and Browne skillfully frame the treatment of trans athletes within larger cultural attitudes: “The overall misconception and hysteria regarding trans women participating in sports stems from a lack of understanding of how trans healthcare and sports policies work, and the misogynistic viewpoint that boys are necessarily strong and girls are necessarily delicate.” Further, they highlight broader social issues that limit “access to the best resources” as being a far more impactful source of inequality in sports.
Let Us Play presents a call for inclusion and support for trans athletes, as well as a challenge for allies to go beyond reading to action. And, while several existing studies are referenced, the authors note the dearth of studies including or focused on trans athletes and hope for more in the near future. Finally, advocating for divisions based on skill rather than gender, the authors put forth a clear vision of inclusive sports that are accessible for everyone. In their words: “...we can either continue to allow barriers against those who need sports the most, or open pathways for empathy and an expansion of sports as we know them.”
Read
March 8, 2026When reviewing this book, I have to separate the quality of the writing with the quality of the ideas introduced. "Let Us Play" introduces a lot of information and a lot of ideas that are thought-provoking and sorely needed about a topic that is very under-researched. It fills a critical gap in the literature for a topic that is at the top of so many headlines. It also includes the voices and stories of many trans athletes which is vital to a book like this. I learned a LOT - see my comment below! However- the book is not the best written. My main critiques are: A) The authors frequently make casual statements without backing them up with other information (many are not consequential to the main theses of the book, but it's distracting), and B) The book's structure feels disjointed at times - the chapter topics are loose, and the fact-reciting vs anecdote inclusion doesn't always flow very well. The book overall feels like a super interesting first draft that would have benefitted from a second and third edit. These structural problems do soften the effectiveness of the arguments presented, unfortunately. However, I don't think anyone transphobic is going to read this book with an open mind anyway. What "Let Us Play" succeeds in is assembling a lot of information about trans participation in sports that we haven't had in one place before. AND, done so by and for trans people with the respect that trans people deserve. That in itself is a massive win. See my comment below for the notes I took on "Let Us Play"!
April 2, 2026
“Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes” by Harrison Brown and Rachel Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Let Us Play” discuss the importance of gender diversity in sports with a focus on trans athletes.
The whole debate about trans people in sports has always puzzled me. While arguments against trans inclusion have always been transphobic, arguments for trans inclusion have always felt surface level. Here, the Browns back up the debate with studies and other scientific research and lived experiences of trans athletes, including Harrison Brown’s own experience as a trans man playing in the National Women’s Hockey League.
The conclusion I have drawn from this book is that all of the arguments against inclusion are arbitrary at best. This book breaks down and busts the myth about trans women having a “biological advantage” over cis women when that’s not the case and argues that an athletes’ economical privilege and access to better training facilities impact an athletes “greatness” more so than their hormones.
This book also brings to light the double standard and adherence to patriarchy in sports. Trans women are the ones being subjugated to invasive testing and ridicule while their trans men counterparts go by almost unscathed. Why do people care about the sanctity of women’s sports? Why does the gender binary have to invoked on behalf of fairness? Coeducational sports are the future because why not? Why shouldn’t they be?
“Let Us Play” discuss the importance of gender diversity in sports with a focus on trans athletes.
The whole debate about trans people in sports has always puzzled me. While arguments against trans inclusion have always been transphobic, arguments for trans inclusion have always felt surface level. Here, the Browns back up the debate with studies and other scientific research and lived experiences of trans athletes, including Harrison Brown’s own experience as a trans man playing in the National Women’s Hockey League.
The conclusion I have drawn from this book is that all of the arguments against inclusion are arbitrary at best. This book breaks down and busts the myth about trans women having a “biological advantage” over cis women when that’s not the case and argues that an athletes’ economical privilege and access to better training facilities impact an athletes “greatness” more so than their hormones.
This book also brings to light the double standard and adherence to patriarchy in sports. Trans women are the ones being subjugated to invasive testing and ridicule while their trans men counterparts go by almost unscathed. Why do people care about the sanctity of women’s sports? Why does the gender binary have to invoked on behalf of fairness? Coeducational sports are the future because why not? Why shouldn’t they be?
Read
January 22, 2026(No rating for non-fic books!)
This was… emotional, to say the least. A very emotional read for me, a trans person, who lost sports a few years ago - whether that be my male-dominated hockey league, or my dance and netball teams. An emotional read, but an essential one. It made me mourn that loss all over again, and it made me understand how this loss was no fault of my own, which is precisely what I - and every other trans athlete (on all levels) - needs to hear right about now.
This is such a perfect blend of statistics and humanity. A perfect blend of sympathy and unapologeticness. Sympathy for those that have fallen for this rhetoric, understanding of how we get here, and unapologeticness at saying “fuck it all” and persisting anyway. A perfecttt blend of breaking down policy, whilst piecing together personal testimonies and experiences.
An essential read for all. Absolutely essential.
And as always, two quotes that will stick with me:
“I was trying not to die at that point. I was doing what I needed to do to live - and that was transitioning, that was HRT, that was trans healthcare, and that was the choice I felt I had.”
“ ‘Either we stand with our trans friends, or we lose them. Either we stand with our trans friends, or we’re next.’ It can’t be overstated that this is a matter of life and death…”
This was… emotional, to say the least. A very emotional read for me, a trans person, who lost sports a few years ago - whether that be my male-dominated hockey league, or my dance and netball teams. An emotional read, but an essential one. It made me mourn that loss all over again, and it made me understand how this loss was no fault of my own, which is precisely what I - and every other trans athlete (on all levels) - needs to hear right about now.
This is such a perfect blend of statistics and humanity. A perfect blend of sympathy and unapologeticness. Sympathy for those that have fallen for this rhetoric, understanding of how we get here, and unapologeticness at saying “fuck it all” and persisting anyway. A perfecttt blend of breaking down policy, whilst piecing together personal testimonies and experiences.
An essential read for all. Absolutely essential.
And as always, two quotes that will stick with me:
“I was trying not to die at that point. I was doing what I needed to do to live - and that was transitioning, that was HRT, that was trans healthcare, and that was the choice I felt I had.”
“ ‘Either we stand with our trans friends, or we lose them. Either we stand with our trans friends, or we’re next.’ It can’t be overstated that this is a matter of life and death…”
May 7, 2026
I really appreciated this book especially the breakdown of what “fairness” actually means in sports. I have long felt very frustrated by the popular defense of trans people’s participation in sports being based upon the argument that “trans people don’t win” so they should be allowed to play. We have seen how policies for trans inclusion that had been in place for decades were completely dismantled the moment a single trans person won in sports. We cannot choose to include trans folks only under the condition that they are not allowed to win. Ultimately, it is clear to anyone paying attention that the exclusion of trans people from sports is simply a Trojan horse for larger transphobia and trans exclusion. We have seen this. And those who argue for trans exclusion from sports have said this point blank. It is not about fairness, it is not about equity, and it is certainly not about “protecting women”. It is about eradicating trans people from public life. It is about discouraging and isolating trans youth. And it is about reinforcing binary gender roles and patriarchy. Sports have always been a huge part of my life and I will not allow transphobia to take that from me. Trans folks forever. Trans athletes I love you.
June 3, 2025
As trans people across all aspects of society (not just sports and not just in the US and UK) endure the relentless propagandized moral panic from politicians and keyboard warriors on social media, this book opens the door to a real conversation. How can we move forward supporting trans men and women in sport and beyond?
There are some with whom you can never talk about the rights of trans athletes to play because they do not see that trans people have the right to exist, period. This book is not for them. This book is for everyone else - the majority - who are afraid they don’t understand and want to or who have a few more questions or who are allies who’d like the language and tools to communicate with friends and family with more knowledge and a greater understanding.
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As a child athlete and then as a parent/master swim official, I know one thing with more certainty than anything - if you want to talk about sports and who should be included and how - ask the athletes not the parents, coaches or spectators.
There are some with whom you can never talk about the rights of trans athletes to play because they do not see that trans people have the right to exist, period. This book is not for them. This book is for everyone else - the majority - who are afraid they don’t understand and want to or who have a few more questions or who are allies who’d like the language and tools to communicate with friends and family with more knowledge and a greater understanding.
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As a child athlete and then as a parent/master swim official, I know one thing with more certainty than anything - if you want to talk about sports and who should be included and how - ask the athletes not the parents, coaches or spectators.
June 14, 2025
A good addition to the conversation about trans and nonbinary athletes.
Because of the pace of the decline of trans rights, there needs to be a new book about every year. This on picks up roughly where Fair Play (Barnes) left off.
Let Us Play focuses less on the science, although it is there, and more on the consequences/impact of not allowing trans young people to play sports and on the impact of sports on the lives athletes who are out there participating now (or in the last few years).
The book does a good job of explaining changes in rules that have happened in the last 15 years or so, especially in the most transphobic sports - tracks & field and swimming - and comparing that to Olympic participation/rules. There's a big focus on hockey, which isn't a sport covered in many other books/articles.
Overall, this is a solid overview that is relatively up-to-date as over early 2025. It's especially good for Canadians interested in the issue, but suitable for the US as well.
Because of the pace of the decline of trans rights, there needs to be a new book about every year. This on picks up roughly where Fair Play (Barnes) left off.
Let Us Play focuses less on the science, although it is there, and more on the consequences/impact of not allowing trans young people to play sports and on the impact of sports on the lives athletes who are out there participating now (or in the last few years).
The book does a good job of explaining changes in rules that have happened in the last 15 years or so, especially in the most transphobic sports - tracks & field and swimming - and comparing that to Olympic participation/rules. There's a big focus on hockey, which isn't a sport covered in many other books/articles.
Overall, this is a solid overview that is relatively up-to-date as over early 2025. It's especially good for Canadians interested in the issue, but suitable for the US as well.
December 25, 2025
This book was clearly made with so much dedication and care, and I love it for that alone. It centers trans people and their experiences the way they should be centered in this issue. It also takes an investigative and scientific approach to the topic, citing research studies alongside personal testimonies. I deeply appreciate how the authors explained the studies in language that any one could understand without a science background. I also loved how they interviewed athletes from multiple sports and with a broad spectrum of ages, identities, and experiences. They also interviewed voices from the opposing perspective, and treated those interviewees with respect and empathy regardless of if the sentiment was returned. All this is to say that the authors did an incredibly thorough job with this book. The only thing I was left wanting more of was Harrison Browne’s first person writing. I loved the introduction and felt more of that conversational tone throughout the book would have helped balance out the density of some sections. But overall I highly recommend!
July 1, 2026
Un essai ardu mais intéressant co-écrit par une journaliste et un ancien joueur de hockey pro, et transgenre (que vous avez peut-être vu à l'écran sous les traits de Connors, dans l'épisode 4 de la série "Heated Rivalry"), portant sur la place accordée aux personnes trans, intersexes et non binaires au sein du sport, ainsi que les combats menés par ces personnes pour continuer à pratiquer leur sport VS tout ce que les politiques/ligues/fédés/associations mettent en place pour les évincer.
Les auteurs questionnent aussi, de manière plus large, la restriction des droits de différentes catégories de la population, la pertinence (ou non) de la séparation garçons/filles dans le sport à partir d'un certain âge.
C’est très documenté, essentiellement centré sur le sport aux États-Unis et au Canada, notamment le hockey (mais pas que). On retrouve différents sports, différentes histoires, quelques passages où Harrison livre directement sa propre expérience. C'est intéressant, peut-être un peu redondant parfois (ou alors c'est moi qui était trop fatiguée pour tout absorber), très informatif et parfois révoltant.
Et au-delà de tous ces sujets abordés, ce que je retiens surtout, c'est l'importance de l’intersectionnalité des luttes.
Les auteurs questionnent aussi, de manière plus large, la restriction des droits de différentes catégories de la population, la pertinence (ou non) de la séparation garçons/filles dans le sport à partir d'un certain âge.
C’est très documenté, essentiellement centré sur le sport aux États-Unis et au Canada, notamment le hockey (mais pas que). On retrouve différents sports, différentes histoires, quelques passages où Harrison livre directement sa propre expérience. C'est intéressant, peut-être un peu redondant parfois (ou alors c'est moi qui était trop fatiguée pour tout absorber), très informatif et parfois révoltant.
Et au-delà de tous ces sujets abordés, ce que je retiens surtout, c'est l'importance de l’intersectionnalité des luttes.
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