Debunks myths and misconceptions around the volatile debate about the participation of gender-diverse athletes while advocating for the inclusion of trans and nonbinary athletes across all levels of sport
The recent anti-trans commentary around the 2024 Summer Olympics and the wave of anti-trans sports law around the world often includes disturbing provisions and biases that perpetuate harmful stigmas that even amount to abuse. In Let Them Play, trans athlete Harrison Browne and investigative journalist Rachel Browne weave together the narratives and distorted facts behind the headlines, revealing that 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.”
The stakes have never been higher for the inclusion of gender diverse people in sport and society. With increased visibility, they are facing physical harm and violence—including death—at unprecedented rates. The world of sports, particularly at youth levels, has become the latest battleground in the fight for basic human rights and equality. Combining thorough scientific research with exclusive accounts—from athletes, coaches, policymakers, and advocates on the front lines—Let Them 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 and expansion of the binaries at all levels of the sport, Let Them Play offers a new path forward, led by solutions proposed by trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse athletes themselves.
HARRISON BROWNE is the first transgender athlete in professional hockey. He was part of the National Women's Hockey League and played for the Metropolitan Riveters and the Buffalo Beauts (winning a championship with both teams). He helped form the first-ever transgender policy in professional sports to aid both transmen and transwomen in their participation. He is the appointed inclusion leader for the NWHL advisory board and special ambassador for the National Hockey League's Hockey Is for Everyone initiative. Harrison has been featured in the New York Times, GQ Magazine, Players’ Tribune, The Olympic Channel, VICE News, ESPN and many more news outlets. He continues to participate in talks and panels throughout North America and internationally.
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.
Debunks myths and misconceptions around the volatile debate about the participation of gender-diverse athletes while advocating for the inclusion of trans and nonbinary athletes across all levels of sport
The recent anti-trans commentary around the 2024 Summer Olympics and the wave of anti-trans sports law around the world often includes disturbing provisions and biases that perpetuate harmful stigmas that even amount to abuse. In Let Them Play, trans athlete Harrison Browne and investigative journalist Rachel Browne weave together the narratives and distorted facts behind the headlines, revealing that 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.”
The stakes have never been higher for the inclusion of gender diverse people in sport and society. With increased visibility, they are facing physical harm and violence—including death—at unprecedented rates. The world of sports, particularly at youth levels, has become the latest battleground in the fight for basic human rights and equality. Combining thorough scientific research with exclusive accounts—from athletes, coaches, policymakers, and advocates on the front lines—Let Them 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 and expansion of the binaries at all levels of the sport, Let Them Play offers a new path forward, led by solutions proposed by trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse athletes themselves.
Author
HARRISON BROWNE is the first transgender athlete in professional hockey. He was part of the National Women's Hockey League and played for the Metropolitan Riveters and the Buffalo Beauts (winning a championship with both teams). He helped form the first-ever transgender policy in professional sports to aid both transmen and transwomen in their participation. He is the appointed inclusion leader for the NWHL advisory board and special ambassador for the National Hockey League's Hockey Is for Everyone initiative. Harrison has been featured in the New York Times, GQ Magazine, Players’ Tribune, The Olympic Channel, VICE News, ESPN and many more news outlets. He continues to participate in talks and panels throughout North America and internationally.
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.
