Show Notes
In Part 1 of this special three-part series, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King take on one of the most complex and emotionally charged conversations in sports today: transgender athletes and the future of women's sports.
Joined by Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports authors Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, they explore the facts, science, history and policy behind a debate that has become deeply politicized. Together, they examine questions of fairness, inclusion and opportunity while challenging common misconceptions with data, expert research and the lived experiences of transgender athletes.
From the role of Title IX and the realities of elite competition to youth sports, body autonomy and what fairness in sports truly means, this conversation invites listeners to slow down, ask questions and engage with empathy. Even when the answers aren't simple.
Whether you're uncertain, curious or firmly opinionated, this episode offers space to listen, learn and better understand one of the defining issues in sports today.
*Since this episode was recorded, the WTA announced that all players will be required to undergo one-time SRY gene testing to compete on the women’s tour, bringing tennis into compliance with the IOC’s eligibility requirements ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.*
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If you want to learn more or go deeper on some of the things we discussed today, here are a few resources we recommend:
1. Chris Mosier's website is the place to go for action steps and the most up to date policy information: https://www.transathlete.com/
2. Fair Game by Ellie Roscher and Anna Baeth: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fair-game-trans-athletes-and-the-future-of-sports/
3. There are free resources to pair with the book-- a book discussion guide for folks who want to read FAIR GAME in groups and go deeper and writing prompts for cis folks to explore their cis identity: https://ellieroscher.com/books/fair-game
4. Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography by Rebecca Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis:
5. Fair Play by Katie Barnes: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fair-play-how-sports-shape-the-gender-debates_katie-barnes/
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In Part 1, we invited you to slow down, ask questions and listen longer. In Part 2 of this special three-part series, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King continue that conversation with Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, authors of Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, taking a closer look at what fairness means—and how policies meant to define it affect real people.