[An] excellent and much-needed examination of current debates about transgender and intersex athletes ... Barnes grounds their book in the science of sex ... Some of the most powerful moments in Fair Play emerge from the stories of young athletes caught in the middle of divisive politics ... Barnes concludes their book with thoughtful policy recommendations, including suggestions on the inclusion of nonbinary and gender-expansive youth in sports.
Barnes offers a nuanced look at this complicated and controversial subject by examining the past, present, and future of sex-segregated sports ... Through interviews, deep research, and thoughtful observations, Barnes provides much-needed clarification on a topic that too often leads to confusion and discomfort.
Barnes astutely positions today’s deliberations and controversies within the history of Title IX and women’s sports programs ... Their attempt to distill truth and instill comfort beyond traditional gender definitions results in a powerful treatise on what current outrage, particularly about transgender girl and women athletes, says about how we think about sports as a whole.
