Filed under: LPGA
Following a lawsuit by Lana Lawless, the LPGA has voted to allow transgender women golfers a chance to play on the tour.Lawless, a transgender woman who won the women's world championship in long-drive golf in 2008, sued LPGA in October because of a requirement that all competitors must be "female at birth." Lawless claimed the rule violated California's civil rights laws.
At a meeting in advance of the LPGA Tour Championship, the players voted Tuesday to eliminate the "female at birth" clause from the LPGA's constitution.
Despite winning the long-drive championship in '08, Lawless was barred from competing this year because Long Drivers of America, which oversees the event, changed its policy to mirror that of the LPGA. Lawless wrote a letter in May asking for permission to apply for LPGA qualifying tournaments, but was told she would be turned down.
"I am, in all respects, legally and physically female," Lawless said in a statement at the time. "The state of California recognizes me as such, and the LPGA should not be permitted to come into California and blatantly violate my rights. I just want to have the same opportunity to play professional golf as any other woman."
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