Finding Renée Richards: the complicated past and present of a trans sports pioneer

The Guardian

In 1977, Richards sued to play in the US Open after transitioning. Now she supports bans on trans athletes in women’s sports. A new biography explores a complex legacy It was a story that dominated tennis headlines back in 1977: Dr Renée Richards, an ophthalmologist who excelled as a male amateur player before a sex-change operation, was suing for the right to play in the women’s draw of the US Open. Where did Richards go for legal assistance? None other than Roy Cohn. Better known for prosecuting suspected communists during the red scare and mentoring Donald Trump, Cohn turned his attention…