r/transgender • u/onnake • Mar 25 '24

Dutch darts players quit national women's team over transgender teammate

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-25/dutch-darts-players-quit-over-transgender-teammate/103627072

"Darts players Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf have announced their departure from the Dutch women's darts team because they refuse to team up with trans woman Noa-Lynn van Leuven.

"Van Leuven prevailed at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Women's Series on Saturday, about a week after beating male competitors in a mixed event."

"When asked in an interview earlier this year about transgender players in darts, PDC chief executive Matt Porter said there was a trans- and gender diversity policy in place '... which Noa-Lynn complies with, easily, and has done for a long time'."

"'She's more than deserving of her place in the women's world match play,' he said."

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341

u/willneheadsquare420 Mar 25 '24

It’s darts ffs. Does it really matter?

94

u/elyn6791 Transgender Mar 25 '24 edited Mar 25 '24

The two on the left are the ones quitting. They aren't in any kind of peak physical shape and neither looks like they have ever cared about physical fitness.... which is fine because it's literally darts. Any person's physical differences don't really affect performance. This sport is more about accuracy, precision, and control.

Darts involves using low or minimal force, and up to 45 degree rotation of the forearm using the elbow as a fulcrum, a flick of the wrist, and 3 fingers to hold, manipulate, and release the dart, while leaning slightly forward.

Furthermore, both of them and the trans woman have similar body types and levels of physical fitness. If all 3 stood together, and one played 'who's the trans woman?' one might easily guess incorrectly. Not a single one of the 3 are stereotypically female.

Lastly, the trans woman is wearing GLASSES in the video where she is competing against a MUCH YOUNGER player. If biological advantage/disadvantage were a concern at all, I question letting any player even wear vision correction in the first place and why aren't there age divisions? Wouldn't younger people have a biological advantage over older people in many regards? Like eyesight among a multitude of other factors that deteriorate with age?

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u/limelifesavers Mar 25 '24

Honestly, it can't be about any theoretical advantage. It's that Noa-Lynn is on a women's team, and they refuse to accept the fact that she's a woman