On January 13, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a landmark case about laws in Idaho and West Virginia restricting access to youth sports according to biological sex. (Here is my defense of the use of the term “biological sex” for anyone who does not care for it.) I read a new book coming out this month, Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, which argues for what I would characterize as a radical inclusiveness for transgender athletes.
The book casts doubt on the power of testosterone on determining competitiveness in sports. It insists that sex is not binary. And it goes so far as to suggest that there shouldn’t even be sex segregation in sports at all. Here is a quote from the book that distills its central claims:
The prevailing cultural narrative that trans athletes pose a threat to cis athletes is harmful to trans athletes. There is no evidence that they are dangerous or hostile to their cis team-mates. The policies restricting trans athletes in the name of protecting cis athletes stem from the same sexist logic that created sex segregation in sports to begin with. They assume that cis women are weaker than cis men, that trans women have the same biological makeup as cis men, and that trans men have the same biological makeup as cis women, and so, trans men aren’t worth worrying about when they compete in men’s sports. Let’s have a better conversation about safety in sports that leads to more safety in sports for everyone.
I spoke with the book’s authors, Ellie Roscher, a writer and former college athlete, and Anna Baeth, a critical feminist scholar and cultural studies practitioner of sport who holds a PhD in kinesiology via sport sociology from the University of Minnesota and an M.S. in exercise and sports from Smith College and is the director of research at Athlete Ally. I hope you’ll give a listen to the video and share it.
Here are a show notes:
Washington Post, Dec. 28, 2025, Casey Parks: “For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing: Verónica García overcame poverty to become a high school track champion — twice. It made her famous for all the wrong reasons.”
Riley Gaines’ X post of the video of García winning the 400m in the 2024 Washington state high school championship:
Riley Gaines@Riley_Gaines_Would you look at that...the thing that never happens happened again. 🚨Veronica Garcia (Donovan Brown) just won the Washington State Championship in the girls' 400m in total domination. In Washington & Oregon this past week, the fastest "girl" in the each state has been a boy.10:37 PM · May 25, 2024 · 1.05M Views1.15K Replies · 2.98K Reposts · 10.5K Likes
The New York Times, May 2022, Michael Powell: “What Lia Thomas Could Mean for Women’s Elite Sports”
Studies on sports competitiveness:
Joyner et al 2025: “Evidence on sex differences in sports performance”
Hilton et al 2020: “Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives
on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage”
Hamilton et al 2024 (known as the IOC study): “Strength, power and aerobic capacity of transgender athletes: a cross-sectional study”
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters (fantastic and shocking book that led me to quietly boycott the 1996 Olympics, as if anyone cared)
16 Days of Glory (iconic 1984 Olympics documentary, currently available on the Criterion Channel)
