Earlier this week, the World Darts Federation (WDF) declared that transgender women who were assigned male at birth would no longer be able to participate in its women’s events.
One transgender darts player was deeply offended by the rules change and expressed her unhappiness on Instagram, calling it a setback for the trans community in sports.
The World Darts Federation, or WDF, announced a new gender eligibility regulation this past Monday. I would want to take a time to answer. I am personally impacted by this choice, although fortunately not to a great extent at this time. However, it still hurts, according to Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
She went on, Once more, the trans community in athletics has suffered a setback. And I’m devastated by that. Being transgender in the darts community, I understand the importance of inclusivity in both theory and practice.
Van Leuven voiced worry that practices that ultimately lead to exclusion were being justified on the basis of the fairness principle.
It’s depressing to witness yet another fairness-framed legislation that ultimately leads to exclusion without taking into account the individuals who bear the labels. All of the athletes affected by this have my deepest sympathies. We are still visible. “We continue,” she continued.
Van Leuven, who advanced to the semifinals of the WDF Dutch Open twice in 2023 and 2024, has subsequently switched to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), where she has won six women’s titles.
Some darts players reacted negatively to Van Leuven’s decision to join the PDC. After she switched to the PDC, two of her former comrades on the Dutch national team quit. Deta Hedman, a British darts player, also declined to face her at a WDF tournament last year.
Van Leuven has also competed in open events with both biological males and women, despite the controversy.
Even after a U.K. Supreme Court decision established legal definitions of man, woman, and sex, PDC executive Matt Porter maintained the organization’s stance on transgender players in November, saying he thought the present policy was fair and that there were no plans to change it.
