Rachel Browne

A family opened a town’s first bookstore. A bathroom bill is driving them away. The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota. They sold it and moved after a new law would’ve required their daughter to use a boy’s bathroom.

The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota.

But after the state passed a measure preventing transgender young people like their daughter from using girls’ bathrooms, they sold it and moved away.

BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.

"Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes" featuring Harrison & Rachel Browne Podcast Episode · Sport, Social Justice & Development Podcast · 07/02/2025 · 1h 1m

With LET US PLAY, Harrison Browne and @rachelbrowne.ca wanted to call out the idea perpetrated by the Right that trans people are the biggest threat to women’s sports. The reality is that trans people are bearing the brunt of harassment and violence.

On the Hunt for Nightcrawlers in the Worm-Picking Capital of the World | The Local Nearly all bait worms sold in North America are hand-plucked from farmland in this part of Canada. But with labour shortages and climate change, some worry we’re witnessing the final wiggles of a once...

This is a perfect story thelocal.to/ontario-nigh...

At least 15 Palestinians in Gaza die of starvation in deepening hunger crisis, medics say | CBC News A six-week-old infant was among 15 people who have died of starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said, with malnutrition now killing Palestinians faster than at any point in ...

Israel controls all aid supplies into the war-ravaged enclave, where most of the population has been displaced multiple times and faces acute shortages of basic necessities. www.cbc.ca/news/world/i...

Thank you, Curtis! Much appreciated!

A cover of "Let us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes" that features a bank of red lockers with a bench in front. A blue towel is draped over the bench. Next to the cover is a picture of Rachel and Harrison together.

Just finished reading Harrison Browne and @rachelbrowne.ca's great book, "Let Us Play." It's an accessible overview of the challenges that gender diverse athletes face -- particularly trans athletes. And unlike most journalism on the topic, one of its authors (Harrison) is trans athlete himself.

Globe and Mail reporter targeted by online campaign, photographed surreptitiously in public settings An anonymous X account posted photos of Alberta reporter Carrie Tait and described her movements as she reported on a health authority controversy

Hi, yes, g'morning. This is awkward.

But targeting a reporter - hi! - with
surreptitiously obtained photos and details of her tooling around town is an attack on the public's right to know.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Breaking: Trans, nonbinary passport protections remain in effect, judge rules Judge Kobick denied DOJ's request to allow the State Department to enforce Rubio's anti-trans/anti-nonbinary passport policy after the SCOTUS Skrmetti decision.

BREAKING: Trans, nonbinary passport protections remain in effect, judge rules.

Judge Kobick denied DOJ's request to allow the State Department to enforce Rubio's anti-trans/anti-nonbinary passport policy after the SCOTUS Skrmetti decision.

New, at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com/p/trans-nonb...

Careers & Fellowships | The Walrus Work with us at The Walrus! As a registered charity, we publish independent, fact-based journalism; produce national, ideas-focused events; and train emerging professionals in publishing and nonprofit management.

📢 We’re hiring! The Walrus is seeking a detail-oriented editorial producer to work with us on our daily web stories and digital projects. Apply by Wednesday, July 16. thewalrus.ca/about/careers/

The Two Captive Orcas Who Can Nearly Taste Freedom | The Walrus The clock is ticking to rehome whales that have never lived outside of Marineland

Two captive orcas are currently stuck at a Marineland in France after it closed this year. Can the world's first marine sanctuary for whales, proposed in Nova Scotia, be their new home? Enter complication, politics, misinformation, greed. @jesstaylorprice.bsky.social‬
thewalrus.ca/marineland-o...

OPINION | Trans athlete pioneer's new book refutes 'moral panic' over inclusion in women's sports | CBC Sports The hysteria and moral panic about trans women in sport is not new, but seems at a boiling point. In response, the wider trans community is working hard to educate people and create safe spaces for…

If anyone pretending to care about women’s sports approaches you with vacuous arguments about trans athletes, Harrison Browne and @rachelbrowne.ca‬’s LET US PLAY has the accessible data and personal stories you need!

🏳️‍🌈 THE NEW MASCULINITY: A ROADMAP FOR A 21st-CENTURY DEFINITION OF MANHOOD by Alex Manley
🏳️‍🌈 LET US PLAY: WINNING THE BATTLE FOR GENDER DIVERSE ATHLETES by Harrison Browne and @rachelbrowne.ca

Canadian man held by immigration officials dies in South Florida federal facility, officials say Officials say a Canadian man being held by immigration officials in South Florida has died in federal custody. U.S.

Officials say a Canadian man being held by immigration officials in South Florida has died in federal custody.

In 2017, Donald Trump’s presidency contributed to a surge of 50,000 asylum seekers in Canada. With his re-election, Canada has deployed the Mounties, surveillance drones, heat sensors, and two Black Hawk helicopters to prepare for yet another wave. thewalrus.ca/migrant-crossing...

‘In Amarillo, Black Women Die:’ The Unresolved Murder of Felita Bailey The initial suspect, a white man in his early 20s, has been “eliminated” as a suspect. The family is accusing law enforcement of a coverup.

This is a vital piece of reporting from @thebarbedwire.bsky.social. Felita Bailey’s family was generous enough to speak to us about the nightmare they’ve been living. This story genuinely has some of the cruelest, most dismissive quotes I’ve ever seen from police.

thebarbedwire.com/2025/06/18/m...

Note to freelancers: I'm open to pitches for @nationalobserver.com! We pay pretty well, and we're flexible with timelines for assigned stories. I don't need a long pitch — think 2 paragraphs — but please give an idea of what your story is.

Some recently published freelance pieces:

Journo callout: Who are your top recommendations for criminal/mental health experts and lawyers in Canada? Thank you in advance!

7 Questions with Harrison Browne The trans advocate, Team Canada alumnus and author talks about his new book and the fight for gender diversity.

@hockeycanada.bsky.social briefly sat down with @beaconpress.bsky.social Harrison Browne to discuss his and @rachelbrowne.ca's new book LET US PLAY and the ongoing fight for gender diversity in sports.

www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/7...

Opinion | The Trump admin cut a life-saving LGBTQ resource just when we need it most The administration’s decision is much more pernicious than just a simple funding crisis for a critical LGBTQ youth support organization.

For @msnbc.com i wrote about the Trump administration's decision to eliminate the LGBTQ youth specialty line in the 988 call system and ending a $26 million contract with the Trevor Project.

www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

OPINION | Trans athlete pioneer's new book refutes 'moral panic' over inclusion in women's sports | CBC Sports The hysteria and moral panic about trans women in sport is not new, but seems at a boiling point. In response, the wider trans community is working hard to educate people and create safe spaces for…

The hysteria and moral panic about trans women in sport is not new, but seems at a boiling point. In response, Harrison Browne and the wider trans community are working hard to educate people and create safe spaces for their community. @rachelbrowne.ca‬

If the opinion upholding Tennessee's ban on youth gender affirming care feels like a redux of Dobbs, that's because it is. This piece I wrote post arguments outlines all the similarities—the same people using the same playbook.

She spent a year living in hotels while in the care of Children’s Aid. It was the last of her young life. This is Jade’s story Over four years, children’s aid societies have housed hundreds of kids with mental health conditions and high-risk behaviours in unlicensed settings.

A must-read investigation: www.thestar.com/news/investi...

Dismantling the top 5 myths about trans athletes In a powerful and emotional journey, Harrison Browne shares his experience as the first transgender athlete in professional hockey. From the moment he took that first shot of testosterone, he knew he…

Trans women and girls are not a threat to women’s sports; nor are they dominating. In fact, trans women and girls, like all athletes, are motivated by the love of their sport, not a singular desire to win. @rachelbrowne.ca‬ #TransRights

‘He stole a piece of our souls’: Christian music star Michael Tait accused of sexual assault by three men Tait posted on Instagram days ago that for 20 years he lived a ‘double life’ but is working on ‘repentance and healing’

This is our latest investigation. Josiah Hesse has taken a deep look at disturbing allegations of sexual assault involving the Christian music legend Michael Tait. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Suspect in Minnesota Shooting Linked to Security Company, Evangelical Ministry The alleged shooter is a 57-year-old white male; according to his ministry's website, he “sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.”

In some sermons that we reviewed, Vance Boelter can be heard railing against the LGBTQ community and abortion

www.wired.com/story/shooti... story with @timmarchman.bsky.social and @leahfeiger.bsky.social

Thank you, Nancy!

I Was the First Transgender Player in Professional Hockey. Then I Had to Walk Away | The Walrus The sports world is the newest battleground for true equality

Today, gender-diverse people, athletes and non-athletes alike, are facing an unprecedented threat to their existence. It’s never been more important to debunk the misinformation and misunderstanding regarding trans athletes. @rachelbrowne.ca‬ #TransLivesMatter

@macleans.bsky.social team and @rachelbrowne.ca! is awarded silver for the story "A Killer Among Them," , in the Best Feature Article: Long category! #DPA25

This is fascism.