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

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Product Code: 9721
ISBN: 9780807045343
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Beacon Press
Pages: 240
Published Date: 05/27/2025
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Price: $27.95

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 firsthand 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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“This well-researched, trenchantly argued, and compassionately written book is a must-read for those invested in the fight against transphobia. Deftly combining memoir-style profiles of trans athletes with political analysis, the authors clearly and adeptly dismantle both the patriarchal, transphobic basis of anti-trans policies and our preconceived notions about gender, ability, and sport. A strong argument for dismantling gender segregation in sports.” —Kirkus Reviews

Let Us Play would be a vital, incisive book in any era, but of course this is not just any era. In a time when gender diversity in sports is being banned at the federal level, we need to understand the issue beyond the bigoted caricatures emerging from the sewers of US politics. In the hands of the Browne siblings, we get a new understanding of the issue in all its complexity by hearing the voices of those who have to navigate this never-more-perilous space. This book is a gift. Let’s make sure it gets into the hands of those who need it. The Brownes’ message matters because it’s also a reminder that however complex their arguments may be, the message is a simple one: everyone should have the right to play.” —Dave Zirin, sports editor, The Nation

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