The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports

"When Zdeněk Koubek announced in 1935 that he would live as a man after his rise to celebrity in women’s sports, it seemed that the public was poised to accept gender expression outside the binary. But a small group of international sporting officials developed a system of “sex testing” that still affects athletes today. The Other Olympians offers a retrospective of the sporting world’s attempt to understand, define and ultimately police sex in competition. Against the backdrop of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Michael Waters weaves dense history with narrative storytelling while never failing to center the humanity of the athletes and activists of the time. Within a fraught history, Waters uncovers stories of queer joy and resilience still relevant today."