Throughout 2026, the Faithful Pride Initiative (FPI) has been collaborating with Christian Athlete Circles (CAC) to create content to help people of faith better understand the debate around transgender athletes participating in sports that align with their gender identity. We were motivated to do so because the Supreme Court began hearing testimony in two cases related to trans athletes participating in sports.
Due to the past hostility towards trans people, we anticipated that the aggression towards them would increase as the cases made their way through the court. I wish we’d been wrong.
Because of the heightened transphobia we’ve seen under the current presidential administration, we felt it was important to come to this conversation from a progressive faith-based perspective. That’s not a perspective often seen in the media on this topic.
We also felt it was especially important for faith-based organizations like ours to be vocal about these issues because the bulk of transphobic arguments stem from transphobic theology; religion has work to do in its repentance to the trans community. I hope we’ve been at least a part of that necessary work.
(Credit: The New Press)
At the beginning of our collaboration, Kelsey Davis from CAC strongly encouraged me to read Ellie Roscher’s and Dr. Anna Baeth’s new book Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports when it came out in January. As someone who’s been a die-hard nerd most of my life, the world of sports is something I am not well-versed in. When I read, I almost exclusively read things related to spirituality, practical ministry, theology, or (if I’m looking for a fun read), sci-fi and fantasy. Sports research is not at the top of my list.
I’m beyond grateful that Davis made the recommendation.
Fair Game is full of thorough research about who is participating in sports, how hormones play into the situation, what we actually know about the impact of hormones versus what has been fabricated by mainstream media, and the physical, psychological and sociological benefits of participating in sports.
While they could have incorporated the research in a way fitting the most academic of research articles, the authors chose to present the research within a broader narrative. Presenting the research in this way makes the results of those studies accessible to those without a background in research design or statistics.
What impacted me the most, though, was Roscher and Baeth’s use of story. In addition to the research above, they interviewed 20 trans athletes—from elementary-aged children to well-seasoned adults—about what participating in sports has meant to them. While some of these athletes had competed or aspired to compete at the highest level, most of those they interviewed simply wanted to participate in extracurricular sports to build community and stay in shape. These individuals are being adversely affected by the exclusive decisions being made at the highest level of sports.
Exclusion at the extracurricular level is not the story mainstream media is sharing when it comes to this conversation, which is a disservice to all of us. Roscher and Baeth call attention to this reality in a way that reminds us that sports fulfill many basic needs for a huge population of people in the United States, and trans people should not be denied those benefits.
The book ends with three appendices. The first provides suggestions for pathways to play for athletes of all genders. The second, and most applicable for religious folks trying to understand the conversation better, is “Ten Better Questions Cis Folks Can Ask Each Other.” This chapter invites cisgender folks into a better conversation than simply “it’s wrong because it is” or “it’s right because it is.” The third appendix is a list of recommended resources for those who want to learn more.
Fair Game is accessible to folks who may not have a robust research background. It’s also easy to follow for people who may not have a rich sports background (like me, whose only participation in athletics was community basketball throughout elementary school). Roscher and Baeth do a remarkable job lowering the barrier to entry, ensuring anyone who wants to join the conversation is able to.
For its fantastic job balancing thoroughness and accessibility, I highly recommend Fair Game to anyone who has questions about trans athletes in sports and isn’t sure where to start looking for answers. This book is a great on-ramp to the conversation.
For the next part of our collaboration, FPI and CAC are excited to co-host a webinar entitled “Converse: A Faith-Based Conversation about Trans Athletes in Sports” on Thursday, April 30th, at 7 pm EST to discuss how people of faith can respond to the current moment. We will be joined by Dr. Baeth, who not only serves as the Director of Research at Athlete Ally, but is also a Quaker.
To register, click here. I hope you’ll be able to join us for this important, rich conversation.
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A bivocational pastor, writer and spiritual director based in Williamsburg, Virginia, she currently works as a Spiritual Director at Reclamation Theology. Cawthon-Freels is the author of Reclamation: A Queer Pastor’s Guide to Finding Spiritual Growth in the Passages Used to Harm Us (Nurturing Faith Books), and a contributing correspondent at Good Faith Media.