Talented Female Athlete Loses Career Over Transgender Opponent
Abigail Wilson, one of the top talents in women’s disc golf, choses to give up her sports career rather than compete against a transgender athlete.
„I most likely ended my career, and that’s okay, because this is bigger than me,” the athlete said after she was scheduled to compete against a transgender player at the MVP Music City Open in Nashville, Tennessee. Wilson participated passively in the competition: she stepped up to the tee box, wound up her toss, but did not release the disc and immediately explained why.
„Females need to be protected in our division!”
Wilson shouted to the crowd, adding:
„This is not fair. I refuse to play!”
According to a Fox News report, Wilson then gathered her belongings and walked off. The incident came just days after Fox News Digital reported that female fencer Stephanie Turner refused to compete against a transgender opponent at a tournament in Maryland.
Wilson later shared footage of her protest in an Instagram video.
„Today I refused to play at the Music City Open. Females deserve to have their sexual identity protected. This is not fair. I worked so hard to get here, to play at a prestigious tournament, but sacrificing my career and all that work is worth it if it means I can do something for other women, for my daughters, nieces, and the future of our sport.
If you feel it’s wrong for biological males to compete in women’s sports, then it’s time to speak up and stand with me,”
she emphasized, adding that she took this public stand because she was afraid to compete openly against a trans athlete and did not feel safe during the tournament. Wilson also stated she believes this decision effectively ends her sports career.
The Association Allows Transgender Athletes to Compete
According to the regulations of the Professional Disc Golf Association, transgender players who were assigned male at birth can compete in the women’s category if they have undergone continuous hormone therapy for at least 24 months and maintain testosterone levels below below 2.0 nmol/L, which is verified through multiple blood tests. Eligibility can also be achieved through gender confirmation surgery, under similar testosterone level limits post-operation.
The transgender athlete who prompted Wilson’s protest is Natalie Ryan, who first stirred controversy in September 2022 when she won the women’s event at the Discraft Great Lakes Open and became one of the top five female disc golfers in the world.
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Tournament Organizers Threatened Over Transgender Athlete
Ryan is openly transgender and acknowledges it on her Instagram page. The Music City Open marked her return to the sport after recovering from surgery, she revealed in a post on Thursday. At a 2024 disc golf tournament, the event was suspended due to threats of violence directed at Ryan. A phone call was made to the tournament venue stating that an act of violence was planned against the transgender athlete.