Disc golf group bans trans-identified male from California competition

A trans-identified male disc golfer who sought to compete in the women's division has been deemed ineligible to do so in a California disc golf tournament after the sport’s governing body appealed a court’s decision allowing the athlete to play, and won.

On Thursday, US District Judge Troy L. Nunley issued a restraining order initially deeming Natalie Ryan eligible to compete in the women’s division, according to the Daily Mail. Ryan has two career wins on the tour.

In February, Ryan filed a discrimination lawsuit protesting the Professional Disc Golf Association’s tightened rules, which stated that trans-identified males seeking to compete in the women’s division must have medically transitioned during Tanner Stage Two of puberty or before turning 12, and also required a low testosterone level, which would exclude Ryan from playing.

"It appears there was an intentional act, the creation of a policy, that excludes individuals based on their protected status as transgender women," Nunley wrote in his decision, according to Outsports.

"The Court makes no determinations as to whether this is sufficient to actually establish intentional discrimination, but it raises serious questions."

The court specifically focused on the PDGA’s rule regarding transitioning before Tanner Stage 2, with Nunley writing, “This section appears to directly target an individual’s sex and gender by creating a temporal line when one must transition."

“Those who fail to comport with this timeline are forever barred from the FPO. This policy seems inextricably tied to sex and gender and, at this stage of litigation, the Court can see no way to separate them. Accordingly, the Court finds serious questions going to the merits of the intentional discrimination claim.”

Following the court’s ruling, Ryan wrote on Instagram, "today is a momentous win for trans athletes and I will see you all at OTB. Thank you your honor, for passing me a match. My fire is going to burn brighter than ever this weekend."

According to the Daily Mail, Ryan went on to compete in the first round of the OTB Open and finished in fifth place.

On Friday, the Disc Golf Pro Tour appealed the decision in the Ninth Circuit Cort of Appeals, who granted a temporary stay to the restaining order issued by the lower court.

“It appears that the district court lacks diversity jurisdiction over the [Disc Golf Pro] Tour because Plaintiff and at least one member of the Tour are citizens of Virginia,” wrote the Ninth Circuit, according to Ultiworld Disc Golf.

“This order restores the DGPT’s ability to enforce its current policy on Gender Eligibility,” wrote the DGPT in a statement. “The DGPT will follow the court’s ruling and enforce its Gender Eligibility Policy which will disallow Ms Ryan from continuing competition in the OTB Open.”

On Instagram, Ryan wrote, "My removal from OTB was targeted just as the new policy was. The DGPT is now enforcing rules that it has no place to. They have only done this to hurt me. I will continue to litigate until justice is achieved. I will use this pain to make sure nobody else has to experience it."

The tournament offers prizes of up to $35,000. Over Ryan’s career competing in the women’s division, the athlete has won over $20,000.

In December, Ryan launched a GoFundMe page to raise money "to fight the anti-trans PDGA policy." 

Ryan stated that the fundraiser is a "direct response to the anti-transgender policy soon to be implemented for the Professional Disc Golf Association(PDGA) and Disc Golf Pro Tour(DGPT)."

"This policy attacks touring athletes due to my success on the 2022 tour. I have always been and will always remain an incredibly dedicated athlete. I have participated in sports since I was 7, and I played disc golf for five years at the time of writing this; if I had an advantage in this sport, my stats and my play would be better. The reality is that I'm not all that great, but I'm good enough to win and that alone scared people into believing I was some monster. Some of my fellow competitors decided they wouldn't work on their games and improve themselves but instead tear me down because my game was complete," Ryan added.

As of Monday morning, the fundraiser has received $14,295 in donations, with Ryan writing in a February update, "The court case is filed! Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far it's been truly incredible to see so many people standing up against this policy with me! This is only the start of the battle but I'm gathering a great set of experts to dispute the PDGAs and DGPTs data or their lack thereof. I'm confident that I've got the best people for the job lined up so your support has gone to a great place thus far!"

Ryan is also seen advertising a collaboration with Neptune Discs, a disc golf manufacturer. The "Natalie Ryan Tour Series" includes a number of discs made by the Virginia maker, available in both pink and white featuring what appears to be a fox in outer space.

In the hashtags for these posts, Ryan includes "Trans Athlete," "trans is beautiful," "disc golf girls," and "trans athletes belong in sports."