If you weren’t a “female at birth” yet wanted to join the LPGA, you may soon have the opportunity.
Last month Lana Lawless, a 57-year-old trans-woman who had gender reassignment surgery in 2005, filed a lawsuit against the LPGA, claiming its constitutional bylaw that states all competitors must be “female at birth” violates California civil rights law. The LPGA is now preparing a vote to overturn that requirement in a player meeting at the LPGA Tour Championship on November 30, according to the Golf Channel’s Randall Mell:
In a special “one-agenda item” meeting at the Hana Bank Championship in South Korea at the end of October, LPGA players were briefed on the upcoming vote and the vital nature of it. According to sources familiar with the meeting, LPGA players were told the “female at birth” provision was created “in a different time” and would be a significant challenge to defend legally today. Players were also informed that the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Golf Association, the Ladies European Tour and the British Ladies Golf Union are among sports organizations that have already amended their bylaws to allow transgender participation.
LPGA commissioner Mike Whan and the LPGA’s executive committee are expected to recommend the change to the association’s bylaws.
Lawless’ lawyer Christopher Dolan said if the LPGA membership doesn’t vote to overturn the rule, then he will seek an injunction to prevent the LPGA from doing business in California.
I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. Maybe both? I’m speechless.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stephanie Wei, Mr. Ref. Mr. Ref said: you're kidding. RT @stephaniewei: LPGA Gets Ready to Lift Transgender Ban – http://tinyurl.com/25qfbgz [...]
Will the LPGA’s bylaws be revised to include specific criteria that would qualify someone to be a female according to the LPGA, like hormone levels, body parts that must be removed, etc. Or can anyone who feels like being a female just say they are a female in order to be allowed to qualify? Can a person who is a female at birth, but has transgendered to become a male also play on the LPGA? Valid questions regardless of their political incorrectness. Requiring LPGA players to speak English was wrong and changing that ruling was the right thing to do. This is just as wrong. The LPGA caved. Maybe they should ban peanuts from the gallery.
Seriously, imagine the confusion if a transgender person goes on a massive victory streak and starts piling up majors and breaking all-time records in the women’s professional game.. In this topsy turvey world, who knows what’s …
Somewhere down the road, this is going to come up to bite the LPGA in someone’s hind quarters. Removing this from the by laws is a very bad idea. (hmm – how long before they are called bi-laws ?)
The LPGA will get to tick off a box in the politically correct compassion survey – but will also face a big drug testing problem somewhere down the road.
The people who developed the estrogen based cocktail that is required for these men to “become” women will someday figure out a way to let them keep their male strength while getting in touch with their feminine side.
The odds may be on their side that someone from an incredibly small percentage of people gullible enough to believe things like “I’m a woman trapped in a man’s body” will actually have the talent to play professional golf with the women – all it takes is one who figures out how to adjust the chemicals enough to make a real mess of the system.
The LPGA is rolling the dice…and ladies…another man will be coming after your money. Think about that.
Court- Rather than rolling the dice, the LPGA may be wandering into “chemin de female.”
That pic is giving me a major 4-wood right now
Good the more diverse the merrier
[...] Awesome! LPGA to lift transgender ban! [Wei Under Par] [...]
[...] Women With Penises Rejoice! The Ban On The Transgendered Is Lifted In The LPGA – WeiUnderPar [...]
Why not? As if it would ever matter. BTW, anyone notice that Lana Lawless resembles George Hamilton in drag?
I don’t buy changing the rules of an entire organization for just one person. And if there is a large group of transgendered persons looking to play professional golf, why don’t they just found their own tour? Also, as I’ve said before, the LPGA and PGA are private entities, and have the right to set their membership criteria as they see fit. I’d love to play on the PGA tour, but I’m an 8 handicap, therefore I don’t meet their requirements. I can’t sue to get a spot in the Masters just because I want to.
How did I miss the part about the LPGA’s rules “violating” a California law ? I guess she missed the LPGA’s address…in Florida. Unfortunately, they also have three tour stops in Cali. A few years back, when the LPGA had plenty of sponsors, they could very well have dumped those three. Move out of the state and her lawsuit has no standing.
Don’t you love our government ? Willing to smack around private business for some fantasy that life is fair. Even worse, they are trying to take away our option to move out of an area with politics we disagree with and move to a place where we don’t have that problem.
The Lana Lawless law suit has absolutely nothing to do with “violating civil rights.” She has a right to a sex-change operation, but NOT to compete as a woman on an all-woman golf Tour. Just because Lawless has new artificial organs doesn’t make him a woman–if it does, we have seriously degraded our definition of what it is to be a woman. Whan and the LPGA commission are facing a dangerous precedent that could mess things up forever. What are they thinking? This is a tyranny of one over fairness for all. Interesting name, Lawless . . . and so appropriate.
Dude looks like a lady!!!
When Janice Daly applies for a LPGA card the world will abruptly come to an end.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/1014-lana-lawless-lpga-golf/8805602-1-eng-US/1014-lana-lawless-lpga-golf_full_600.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Sports/2010/1014/Lana-Lawless-Transgender-woman-sues-LPGA-for-right-to-tee-off&h=600&w=400&sz=53&tbnid=7LNqK-ovT3sizM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlana%2Blawless&zoom=1&q=lana+lawless&usg=__PQAwGcUWyGXtjCwkoI2AExneCcI=&sa=X&ei=KzXsTKrNMsP68AbRkJWPAQ&ved=0CCIQ9QEwBA
Here’s a better, probably more realistic photo of the plaintiff. Hope the operation didn’t cost him a lot of money. LPGA needs to grow their own pair and stand up to this 57 year old dude who would have trouble not coming in last on any LPGA tournament.
Pretty disappointed at the tone of this article Michelle, as just a little bit of research would go a long way in providing important points of information.
Blogs like yours, and the media, are in powerful positions and you influence much of society’s opinions.
As for the comments to this article…, well, unfortunately that comes mostly from the ignorance that continues to be perpetuated by the worlds media (and blogs!), so the guys commenting on here can’t be blamed.
I just wish people would stop commenting so seemingly ‘expertly’ on issues that they clearly know absolutely nothing about. Maybe do some reading before posting comments, or just leave issues alone.