Not sure why I thought the LPGA was allowing MTFs play on the tour. The USGA has adopted a policy governing the participation of transgender people, as has other international golf organizations. Mianne Bagger, a woman who was born a biological male, plays on the Australian and European Tours. I probably should have questioned why she was not playing in the United States and given the LPGA's fairly conservative philosophies (except when it comes to posing its tour members in bathing suits on golf courses in an attempt to gain some publicity), I should not have been so surprised.
Whether the LPGA will be able to keep its no-trans policy is the question inspired by a lawsuit by Lana Lawless. I have blogged about Lawless before. She won, in 2008, the women's world championship in the long drive. The competition is run by Long Drivers of America which did not have a female-at-birth policy at the time which meant Lawless, who was born a male but had sex reassignment surgery in 2005, could participate. But no longer. The LDA changed its rules to mirror those of the LPGA, which do not allow women who were not born women.
Lawless has also been interested in playing in LPGA qualifying tournaments but has been told she would be turned down.
The lawsuit also includes the LDA and some of the sponsors of the championship including Dick's Sports and CVS and requests an injunction against the LPGA from holding tournaments in California so long as it continues to discriminate against trans people.
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