Which Team Are You on?

Examines how Brazilian soccer's trailblazers—women, gay men, and trans players—leverage their visibility to fight marginalization and advance gender justice. In Brazil, national identity is tightly bound up with soccer. In turn, soccer leaves a masculinist and heteronormative mark on what it means to be Brazilian. After all, for much of the twentieth century, the law deemed futbol "incompatible with female nature," and women were banned from participating. Though the prohibition was lifted in 1979, the national soccer culture continued to serve the reproduction of a gendered society. Which Team Are You On? develops theoretical and ethnographic insights into the struggle of dissident athletes for recognition and redistribution. By tracing three groundbreaking "firsts"—pioneer women Olympians, the national LGBTQ league (LiGay), and Brazil's first trans team, the Meninos Bons de Bola—C. K. Snyder examines the athletes' "visibility dilemma," in which being seen is essential for legitimacy as futebolistas yet dangerously exposes players to violence and backlash. Snyder argues that, today, soccer is a key battleground for gender justice in Brazil, as a surging reactionary movement lays claim to the nation's proud sporting heritage, placing women, gay, and trans athletes at even greater risk. To fight back, they take to the pitch, continuing to demand not only respect but also a place in the life of their country.