by Harrison Browne and Rachel Browne
Beacon Press
5/27/2025, hardcover
SKU: 9780807045343
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.
Reviews:
"This book is a gift. Let's make sure it gets into the hands of those who need it....The message is a simple one: everyone should have the right to play." -- Dave Zirin, sports editor, The Nation
"Get your head out of your phone and stop doomscrolling. Read Let Us Play instead." -- Jay Onrait, sports anchor
"For anyone seeking to understand the strengths and challenges of being transgender, being an athlete, and how many people embody both identities. I'm proud to join in and shout, 'LET US PLAY!'" -- Miles McKenna, author of I Am NOT a Vampire
"Whether you're a sports fan, an ally, or someone navigating their own path toward self-acceptance, Let Us Play will shed light on the unique challenges trans athletes face." -- Chris Mosier, transgender athlete and activist
About the Authors:
Harrison Browne is the first transgender athlete in professional hockey. He was part of the NWHL and played for the Metropolitan Riveters and the Buffalo Beauts.He is the inclusion leader for the NWHL advisory board and special ambassador for the NHL's Hockey Is for Everyone initiative.
Rachel Browne is an award-winning investigative journalist and documentary producer whose work appears in VICE News, POLITICO, Global News, Maclean's magazine, Discovery+, and elsewhere.