Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports

Former college athlete Roscher (The Embodied Path) and feminist scholar Baeth deliver an affecting examination of transgender athletes’ exclusion from organized sports. The authors address “myths” they say fuel opposition to full participation, explaining that trans people make up less than 1% of athletes and don’t have physiological advantages over cis athletes. They also share interviews with trans athletes, whose voices they assert have been “ignored and silenced.” Among those profiled is trans man Layne, who reflects on becoming a star high school and college basketball player before transitioning, noting that despite playing on girls’ teams, he took on the mentality that he was one of the guys and could compete against any player. Now a coach, he’s trying to make the sport more welcoming for young queer athletes. Addison, a trans woman, shares her experience navigating gender norms in sports like CrossFit, which has weights and exercises that differ for women and men. She found refuge in powerlifting, which, she explains, is “just you versus the bar and pushing your body to its edge, regardless of gender.” Through these candid personal anecdotes, Roscher and Baeth illuminate how trans athletes are competing not to gain an advantage but to live as their true selves. It’s an important addition to conversations about sports and gender. (Jan.)

Correction: A previous version of this review misidentified the trans woman who found refuge in powerlifting.