A transgender golfer (who used to be a SWAT Team member) is suing the LPGA to join the tour. The LPGA, however, says their rules are that you have to be born a woman so he/she’s in the rough on this one. OK. You’re going to have to help me with this one. I’m in a mood. I keep thinking of metaphors and puns for this story like this being “par for the course” and something about a “hole in one.” But I’m not going to go there. I’m playing it straight on this one.
Fox Orlando reports:
Lana Lawless, the 2008 Women’s Long Drive Association (LDA) champion, claims in her lawsuit that her civil rights have been violated by the LPGA. The LPGA rules state that no one can play on tour unless she was born female.
The LPGA has rejected Lawless’ applications to enter qualifying events. Lawless is legally female after undergoing a sex change operation.
Lawless is also suing the LDA, which holds driving distance competitions. Lawless claims the LDA changed its rules to prevent her from entering future events after she won in 2008.
“California’s civil rights laws prevent discrimination against all minorities, including transgender persons. The LPGA and LDA operate a number of high profile qualifying events and tournaments in California which are highly lucrative to their sponsors,” said Lawless’ attorney, Christopher Dolan, in a statement.
So Lana Lawless (a Xena Princess Warrior fan, I guess?) is attempting to get California to declare the LPGA has to accept her if they want to play any golf there. Yup. Blackmail.
Why is this important? Because this will make women’s golf even harder to watch than it already is but more importantly this is the same kind of thing that’s happening to religious organizations which are perceived to “discriminate” against homosexuals and transgenders. They’ll sue. They’ll pressure the state which has great power to bully private organizations to do their will.
Let’s face it, the LPGA doesn’t want this fight. I’d bet the LPGA submits to the princess warrior’s threats at some point and lets her tee off. That’s the problem. That’s how it goes. All the time. It’s already started with the Church being pressured to administer gay adoptions and administer abortifacients in Catholic hospitals. In some cases religious organizations have resisted, in others not so much.
Either we as a society stand up to this kind of bullying or we should expect a lot more of it.
October 13, 2010 at 7:29 pm
*sigh* For quite some time, I expect there to be a lot more of this kind of bullying. Societies seem to have the same intellectual qualities of a dog: they learn to stay away from the opening door by getting their nose hit many various times by said door. This doesn't guarantee success on other doors though, just on the one that caused the pain. There is no guarantee that telling the dog to get back will make the dog step back, just as with this. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You still try and teach the dog, though, because every now and then he proves his worth.
October 13, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Just a thought, but doesn't standing up to this kind of thing begin with not calling him a "her"?
October 13, 2010 at 7:40 pm
"…doesn't standing up to this kind of thing begin with not calling him a "her"? "
Since the plumbing has been modified that might not be practical. I suggest "shim" as a compromise.
October 13, 2010 at 8:28 pm
This doesn't make a lot of sense. The Olympics carefully test (or say they do) female weightlifters and others to make sure they were born female. Nobody seems to be taking them on, asking that a transgender "female" be allowed to enter women's evens.
Is this a chance complaint, or will the Olympics be the last to fall?
October 13, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Therese, I think there are going to be Olympics very soon that will be challenged in this regard. They're taking on the ponds before they storm Omaha beach.
How did we get here? This is the bullying that will come with moral relativism. Anything goes, but you can't go against me! Yikes!
October 13, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Why not just start a LGBTGA, and they can keep all the straight, non-sex changed golfers out.
Believe me, nobody would be suing to get in.
October 14, 2010 at 3:33 am
"Why not just start a LGBTGA, and they can keep all the straight, non-sex changed golfers out…Believe me, nobody would be suing to get in."
I would have to think twice about that. Remember the North American Gay Amateur Baseball World Series? The rules limit each team to only two "heterosexual" players. The rest should be certified gays. There was actually a protest because some of the competitors were allegedly "not too gay".
The world is getting way tooo complicated.
October 14, 2010 at 12:37 pm
This is what happens when biology is politicized. Our sex is determined at the cellular level. This is taught in sixth grade. It’s not to hard to understand.
If someone is in an accident or maimed in a war and loses a leg, he is still a man. If his “male parts” are shot off, he’s maimed but still a man. It’s in every cell of his body. If it’s cut off on purposed and not to save his life, he’s still a man. Until they can modify every cell and all of the muscular tissue in the body that person will always be a man.
October 14, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Wouldn't the hormone treatments used by the LGBT athletes disqualify them under the drug policies anyway?
October 14, 2010 at 5:37 pm
I always thought them swat guys was way too homoerotic…
And what about the law enforcement guys that get too chummy with the K-9s?
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