(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Professional golfer Mianne Bagger voiced support for a bill that would exclude trans athletes from female sports, despite being the first transgender athlete to compete in a professional golf tournament.
“Letting trans athletes compete in female sports is a slap in the face to women,” Bagger said, according to the Daily Caller.
Bagger was the first trans woman to compete in professional golf tournaments after playing in the 2004 Australian Open.
On this day in #WomensHistory…
2004: Mianne Bagger became the first transgender athlete to compete in a professional golf tournament, helping to pave the way for transgender athletes all over the world! pic.twitter.com/6Er0IMQsK0
— University Career Center (@UTDCareerCenter) March 3, 2022
According to Bagger, trans women competing in female sports is problematic because they are more biologically aligned with men due to the lack of medical technology that could completely transition them.
“These days, [the dynamic] has crept into what’s called self ID or self identification: male-bodied people presenting as women, who live as women, with varying degrees of medical intervention and in some degrees, no medical intervention, which is just—it’s crossed the line, in my view, it really has… It’s a slap in the face to women,” Bagger said.
“I just don’t agree with the current, softened policies that are requiring less and less medical intervention of a male-bodied person entering women’s sport,” Bagger continued.
Bagger also argued that males have a biological edge and can compete at a higher level. The Danish-born golfer also said while there should be acceptance in the political realm, sports need to maintain divisions.
“We want equality, lack of discrimination, and of course every single person should have equal access to life and services and work in society. Of course we all want that, and so do I,” Bagger said.
“Sport is about physical ability. It’s not just about discrimination, it’s not just about equality and equal access. It is a physical ability,” Bagger added.
“Now, if you’ve got one group—males—that are on average stronger, taller, faster, as opposed to women, there has to be a divide. There has to be a division.”
