Transgender Athletes in Competitive Sport

This is the first comprehensive study of the challenges that transgender athletes face in the hyper-macho, sex segregated institution of sport. The book discusses the historical role that sports have played in preserving sex as a binary and examines how gender has been policed within competitive athletics. It considers how transgender athletes are treated by a system predicated on separating males from females, forcing transgender athletes to negotiate the system in coercive ways, and reviews key issues and contemporary cases. Encouraging reflection on our culture’s binary thinking on sex and gender, it offers recommendations on how to make sport a more inclusive place for all participants.

Eric Anderson is Professor of Sport, Masculinities & Sexualities at the University of Winchester, UK. He holds four degrees, has published 14 books, over 50 peer-reviewed articles, and is regularly featured in international television, print and digital media. Professor Anderson is recognized for research excellence by the British Academy of Social Sciences and is a fellow of the International Academy of Sex Research. His work shows a decline in cultural homohysteria and promotes inclusive attitudes toward openly gay and bisexual athletes.

Ann Travers is Associate Professor, Sociology at Simon Fraser University, Canada. She has published two books, 13 peer-reviewed articles, is a regular presenter at conferences relating to sport, embodiment and sociology more generally. She has received over $200,000 in funding for her research relating to sport and gender and transgender issues in sport.