A transgender woman believes she was unlawfully barred from participating in a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier, and now she’s pushing back. Hailey Davidson, a 33-year-old transgender woman, filed a lawsuit on Thursday that named the golf club hosting the qualifier, along with the USGA, the LPGA and three LPGA officials. She is seeking unspecified damages.…
Thu., May 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; A person holds an Inclusive Rainbow flag as about 50 protesters gather outside the Ohio Statehouse as lawmakers debate two bills aimed at health care rights. One bill is HB 454, which would ban gender-affirming health care, such as gender reassignment surgery or the prescription of hormone blockers for people who are transgender. The other is HB 480, which would ban performing abortions. Both bills are currently in committee. Mandatory Credit: Joshua A. Bickel/Columbus Dispatch
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A transgender woman believes she was unlawfully barred from participating in a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier, and now she’s pushing back.
Hailey Davidson, a 33-year-old transgender woman, filed a lawsuit on Thursday that named the golf club hosting the qualifier, along with the USGA, the LPGA and three LPGA officials. She is seeking unspecified damages.
This comes after the USGA and LPGA changed gender policies for events in 2025 and beyond. Under the new rules, players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to be eligible to compete.
Davidson, who transitioned after puberty, claims in the lawsuit that the new policy effectively bans transgender women from competing in USGA women’s events or the LPGA because many states prevent children from taking hormones or blocking puberty.
The LPGA said in a statement it was aware of the lawsuit and would “let that process play out on the proper forum.”
“The LPGA’s gender policy was developed through a thoughtful, expert-informed process and is grounded in protecting the competitive integrity of elite women’s golf,” the statement said via ESPN.
Davidson competed in a U.S. Open qualifier and LPGA Qualifying School under a different policy in 2024, falling short of qualifying both times.