What do you think?
Rate this book
LGBTQ+ Athletes Claim the Field: Striving for Equality
"Hope is found in the past fir present and future athletes who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning/queen, or other.
In clear, readable text, the author details prejudices faced by athletes whose gender identity does not conform with their biological sex, are romantically and sexually attracted to individuals of the same gender, or are questioning their gender identity and sexual orientation. In an effort to help break down these prejudices, multiple examples of LGBTQ athletes are presented...The positive tone and multitude of examples create optimistic belief that LGBTQ athletes will be able to be true to themselves while competing in their chosen sport." - Kirkus, June 1 2016
In clear, readable text, the author details prejudices faced by athletes whose gender identity does not conform with their biological sex, are romantically and sexually attracted to individuals of the same gender, or are questioning their gender identity and sexual orientation. In an effort to help break down these prejudices, multiple examples of LGBTQ athletes are presented...The positive tone and multitude of examples create optimistic belief that LGBTQ athletes will be able to be true to themselves while competing in their chosen sport." - Kirkus, June 1 2016
104 pages, Unknown Binding
First published September 1, 2016
4 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Read
November 26, 2016The writing is fine, with some interesting athletes and sports highlighted throughout. A user-friendly design with good sidebars and images, along with good back matter.
However, there aren't and "Q" or "B" athletes in here, unless you could the potential "B" athlete outed because of an affair. There is a big focus on the "T" here, which is GREAT, but it's a little disingenuous to name a book after the entire acronym and not cover the entire thing. There is nothing at all about queerness or its meaning here, and the one example of gender fluidity is in a sidebar and a bit brushed over.
A fine start, but there's a lot more that could be said.
However, there aren't and "Q" or "B" athletes in here, unless you could the potential "B" athlete outed because of an affair. There is a big focus on the "T" here, which is GREAT, but it's a little disingenuous to name a book after the entire acronym and not cover the entire thing. There is nothing at all about queerness or its meaning here, and the one example of gender fluidity is in a sidebar and a bit brushed over.
A fine start, but there's a lot more that could be said.
June 5, 2019
Listen. Be an ally. Be accepting. Be supportive. Be respectful. Educate yourself. This book is a great start on the education front. 🏳️🌈 “The good news is that we can all play a role in ending prejudice and discrimination by getting to know LGBTQ+ people and transforming societal thinking that creates prejudices.” -Alex Jackson Nelson
May 15, 2016
Since one of the authors grew up seen as a girl but inside a boy (transgender), he didn't even know trans athletes existed. So to help youths in the LGBTQ+ community who are going through the same thing, Alex Jackson Nelson worked with Kristin Cronn-Mills to create this anthology.
The one thing I didn't agree on in this book is the inclusion of churches in the homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny area of the book. Churches have different beliefs based on their holy writings, God, etc. I don't think that religious conviction counts as any of those because I don't think religious conviction is hatred. (There are radicals who are the exception, but not the general "church" population.)
Covering such topics as short coming out stories, fan perceptions, product endorsements, coaches and managers, the Gay Games, HIV/AIDS, Pro sports and college sports, social media, concerns about competitive advantage, gender verification, policies at different levels and within different organizations, work place policies, and lawsuits this book packs a whole lot of punch! It would be great to add to a collection for high schools or public libraries. The layout is really patron-friendly. Lots of pictures, good line spacing, nice margins, and color in the photos and text makes this a gorgeous non-fiction book- something not see often enough. Trust me!
The "Open letter from a gay college football player" to closeted athletes was beautiful, encouraging, and realistic. It's exactly what I would like to hand my patrons even if they are not gay, or not athletes. It was just stunning and a great reminder to try to see the person for who they are rather than what you THINK they will be like.
As a librarian, I love the inclusion of a timeline, index, and source notes. These will really help my students as they complete research reports. A glossary, selected bibliography, huge list of sources for further information just sweetens the deal. We will be adding this book to our collection next school year.
The one thing I didn't agree on in this book is the inclusion of churches in the homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny area of the book. Churches have different beliefs based on their holy writings, God, etc. I don't think that religious conviction counts as any of those because I don't think religious conviction is hatred. (There are radicals who are the exception, but not the general "church" population.)
Covering such topics as short coming out stories, fan perceptions, product endorsements, coaches and managers, the Gay Games, HIV/AIDS, Pro sports and college sports, social media, concerns about competitive advantage, gender verification, policies at different levels and within different organizations, work place policies, and lawsuits this book packs a whole lot of punch! It would be great to add to a collection for high schools or public libraries. The layout is really patron-friendly. Lots of pictures, good line spacing, nice margins, and color in the photos and text makes this a gorgeous non-fiction book- something not see often enough. Trust me!
The "Open letter from a gay college football player" to closeted athletes was beautiful, encouraging, and realistic. It's exactly what I would like to hand my patrons even if they are not gay, or not athletes. It was just stunning and a great reminder to try to see the person for who they are rather than what you THINK they will be like.
As a librarian, I love the inclusion of a timeline, index, and source notes. These will really help my students as they complete research reports. A glossary, selected bibliography, huge list of sources for further information just sweetens the deal. We will be adding this book to our collection next school year.
Read
July 2, 2016I was really hoping this book would be something special, as LGBTQ+ athletes have been in the forefront of American culture ever since Caitlyn Jenner came out a little over a year ago (and even before that, when Michael Sam was drafted by the NFL). But I'll have to keep waiting for a good book about LGBTQ+ identifying athletes, because this isn't it.
First and foremost, despite "LGBTQ+" being right in the title and used as the only community acronym throughout, there is no mention of any athlete fitting into the "B" or "Q." There is a heavy focus, especially, on trans athletes, and there's even a bit of information about intersex athletes, but nothing about bisexual or queer identifying athletes.
Also, you can find every single bit of information from this book on the internet. There are no new interviews conducted and no new facts or studies introduced.
For a book just 80 pages long, that's pretty sad to skip over two identities your book purports to shed light on and to not present anything we can't find elsewhere.
First and foremost, despite "LGBTQ+" being right in the title and used as the only community acronym throughout, there is no mention of any athlete fitting into the "B" or "Q." There is a heavy focus, especially, on trans athletes, and there's even a bit of information about intersex athletes, but nothing about bisexual or queer identifying athletes.
Also, you can find every single bit of information from this book on the internet. There are no new interviews conducted and no new facts or studies introduced.
For a book just 80 pages long, that's pretty sad to skip over two identities your book purports to shed light on and to not present anything we can't find elsewhere.
November 26, 2017
LGBTQ+ Athletes Claim the Field Striving for Equality written by Kirstin Cronn-Mills – a well-developed and executed description of LGBTQ athletes since the 1930s, their experiences and how they changed their sports. The five chapters discuss athletics at all levels: youth, young adult, college and professional as well as the organizations that govern each level from differences at the youth level to the changes which have occurred at the international an Olympic level. Included are those well-known athletes such as Billie Jean King as well as those lesser athletes such as Schuyler Bailar. Both success stories as well as failures to reach their athletic dreams are included. Interviews and photos support this pro LGBTQ+ offering which names homophobic coaches and leaders often stating their job loss or other eventual consequence for their actions. Included are a timeline, glossary, bibliography, and list of other resources for further information. Overall a nice introduction for middle or high school students who are inquiring about LGBTQ+ students, athletes or how the topic may affect them personally.
November 7, 2025
The physical edition was nearly impossible for me to read
The page setup of this book made it very nearly impossible to read and I couldn't adjust the text to make it any easier. I recommend getting a physical copy of this book if your device is smaller than a standard laptop. But the information itself was good.
The page setup of this book made it very nearly impossible to read and I couldn't adjust the text to make it any easier. I recommend getting a physical copy of this book if your device is smaller than a standard laptop. But the information itself was good.
December 29, 2017
A good read. It tells about people just trying to be themselves in a world that is slow to open up to different ideas in the world. It discusses the Olympics and professional sports. Good read for everyone.
May 26, 2017
This was definitely very moving and inspirational. I strongly suggest this book as it was a great read.
May 16, 2021
Short and easy to read. This was informative and thought-provoking.
Want to read
March 16, 2017Top 10 Diverse Nonfiction for Youth 2017 (Booklist)
August 18, 2022
"'Know that you are brave enough, strong enough, and that you are not alone.'" -Eric Lueshen, p.83
"'It takes courage for people to name their true gender identity, or to admit that they are struggling to figure it out. When they do tell us, it's important that we believe them, even if we don't understand...
As a culture, we need to get better at saying to transgender individuals... 'Your identity is important to me, and I trust you when you tell me who you are.''" -Alex Jackson Nelson, p.49
I picked up this book from my local library without a lot of thought- I was gathering a mixed assortment of LGBTQ+ books to read over my winter break, and this one happened to catch my eye. So I checked it out, expecting a mere factual book touching on a few LGBTQ+ ideas.
This book caught me totally off-guard, in the absolute best way possible. Never did I expect when I began reading this book that it would turn into, for me, a prime example of LGBTQ+ non-fiction, both presenting its information about its subject, and advocating for continued acceptance, all while touching on other subjects which often intersect with an LGBTQ+ identity.
I noticed other comments indicating that it was low on Bisexual representation- and this is true. Despite listings for "gay male athletes" and "lesbian athletes" in the index, bisexuality has no references that I could see. So in that, and in many other respects, such as gender fluidity, there is a lot of progress that can be made in the discussion of this topic.
Yet I think that what this book has set out to do, and has accomplished on a grand scale, is to publish a relatively brief history and overview of LGBTQ+ identified people in the world of sports, and how their identities affected their experiences. For many, of course, the answer was "negatively," and there are, in this book, many heartbreaking tales of athletes who, in being true to themselves, were ostracized, prevented from following their passions. Still others talk about how they were given no choice- how they were outed, often by the media, and the ways that this left them feeling- for many, depressed and suicidal; having no control over their stories, they felt empty.
But those that make the heart soar are those that overcome these obstacles, that bounce back from being outed to compete, and succeed, and often to own their identity. Tales, often much more modern (though not all) of athletes far pre-empting any chance of being outed, by coming out themselves, on their own terms, in tremendous acts of bravery. More heartwarming still are those who were accepted by their teammates, coaches, and fans with open arms.
Moreover this book does a tremendous job with transgender and intersex struggles, talking about the atrocities past athletes had to face,the hoops through which they had to jump to compete, if they were able to compete at all. The struggles which many today still face.
This is a book about athletics. This is also a book about LGBTQ+ issues, and how they interact with athletics. You by no means need to have an understanding of either of those things to read this book, made accessible to all readers. And even more than just LGBTQ+ issues, this book takes on how race and gender, disability and economic status, where you live and how you grew up, can affect LGBTQ+ issues, and vice versa. This intersectionality is the true path to a better understanding.
This book will leave your heart soaring with hope for the future, while reflecting on the past, and mourning those who were lost on the way, all the while celebrating these brave people- people with stories varied and complex, different in all respects, yet connected by a common thread of existence. Read this book, and celebrate their lives. Celebrate the lives of those now in the past, whose legacy we carry into the future. Celebrate the lives of those in the present, who are still living out their tale, still facing adversity everyday, and who will continue to persist. And celebrate the lives of those to come, those in the future, for whom we work to lay a foundation of acceptance, so that they need not face the discrimination that many already have.
"'It takes courage for people to name their true gender identity, or to admit that they are struggling to figure it out. When they do tell us, it's important that we believe them, even if we don't understand...
As a culture, we need to get better at saying to transgender individuals... 'Your identity is important to me, and I trust you when you tell me who you are.''" -Alex Jackson Nelson, p.49
I picked up this book from my local library without a lot of thought- I was gathering a mixed assortment of LGBTQ+ books to read over my winter break, and this one happened to catch my eye. So I checked it out, expecting a mere factual book touching on a few LGBTQ+ ideas.
This book caught me totally off-guard, in the absolute best way possible. Never did I expect when I began reading this book that it would turn into, for me, a prime example of LGBTQ+ non-fiction, both presenting its information about its subject, and advocating for continued acceptance, all while touching on other subjects which often intersect with an LGBTQ+ identity.
I noticed other comments indicating that it was low on Bisexual representation- and this is true. Despite listings for "gay male athletes" and "lesbian athletes" in the index, bisexuality has no references that I could see. So in that, and in many other respects, such as gender fluidity, there is a lot of progress that can be made in the discussion of this topic.
Yet I think that what this book has set out to do, and has accomplished on a grand scale, is to publish a relatively brief history and overview of LGBTQ+ identified people in the world of sports, and how their identities affected their experiences. For many, of course, the answer was "negatively," and there are, in this book, many heartbreaking tales of athletes who, in being true to themselves, were ostracized, prevented from following their passions. Still others talk about how they were given no choice- how they were outed, often by the media, and the ways that this left them feeling- for many, depressed and suicidal; having no control over their stories, they felt empty.
But those that make the heart soar are those that overcome these obstacles, that bounce back from being outed to compete, and succeed, and often to own their identity. Tales, often much more modern (though not all) of athletes far pre-empting any chance of being outed, by coming out themselves, on their own terms, in tremendous acts of bravery. More heartwarming still are those who were accepted by their teammates, coaches, and fans with open arms.
Moreover this book does a tremendous job with transgender and intersex struggles, talking about the atrocities past athletes had to face,the hoops through which they had to jump to compete, if they were able to compete at all. The struggles which many today still face.
This is a book about athletics. This is also a book about LGBTQ+ issues, and how they interact with athletics. You by no means need to have an understanding of either of those things to read this book, made accessible to all readers. And even more than just LGBTQ+ issues, this book takes on how race and gender, disability and economic status, where you live and how you grew up, can affect LGBTQ+ issues, and vice versa. This intersectionality is the true path to a better understanding.
This book will leave your heart soaring with hope for the future, while reflecting on the past, and mourning those who were lost on the way, all the while celebrating these brave people- people with stories varied and complex, different in all respects, yet connected by a common thread of existence. Read this book, and celebrate their lives. Celebrate the lives of those now in the past, whose legacy we carry into the future. Celebrate the lives of those in the present, who are still living out their tale, still facing adversity everyday, and who will continue to persist. And celebrate the lives of those to come, those in the future, for whom we work to lay a foundation of acceptance, so that they need not face the discrimination that many already have.
August 4, 2016
This is a great book about LGBTQ+ athletes. In the past athletes were often afrain to come out for fear of retribution, but these days more and more athletes are coming out. It's great that people finally are comfortable to be exactly who they are. In this book there are stories of athletes in nearly every sport who have been brave enough to share their story with the world. The best part of this book is the open letter from a gay college football player encouraging others to be brave. While many should read this, few will be brave enough to pick it up.
June 20, 2023
I found this book a bit tame after all of the compilation books I have been reading lately. Kirstin Cronn-Mills and Alex Jackson Nelson give straight forward information about the history of rainbows in sports as they came to light to the world. I would have preferred a more personal look.
LGBTQ+ Athletes Claim the Field is a great reference book for anyone who needs to look up an athlete or date something happened.
LGBTQ+ Athletes Claim the Field is a great reference book for anyone who needs to look up an athlete or date something happened.
August 16, 2016
Lots of interesting info about the history and current events of LGBTQ+ athletes. The book used inclusive language and was very informative. I would probably recommend this to 6th/7th graders and up.
November 22, 2016
An interesting and informative guide to the history of LGBTQ athletes.
August 3, 2021
Great book...just out of date
September 28, 2021
I think it is cool it tells you about athlete who came out and famous athlete genders.
April 29, 2017
An adequate and straightforward summary of LBGTQ experiences in sports, with support for readers unfamiliar with the issues involved. A much-needed resource for middle and high schools. No mention of bi or queer identifying athletes, though.
July 14, 2017
I really wanted so much more from this one. It felt disjointed. I appreciated the athletes included, but it just didn't work for me. It is an important topic and libraries may need this.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews