The World Darts Federation announced earlier this week that its women’s competitions will not permit biological men and transgender women to participate. This decision drew criticism from a transgender darts player who expressed her disappointment on Instagram, stating that it’s a significant setback for the sports community.
In her post, she shared that this new policy directly impacts her. She mentioned, “This Monday, WDF published a fresh policy on gender eligibility. I really need to reflect on this.” She feels that this is a profound loss for the transgender community in sports, adding that it “breaks my heart.” As someone involved in darts, she values genuine inclusion rather than mere theoretical approaches.
Van Reuben emphasized that while the policy aims for “fairness,” it comes at the price of exclusion. She lamented that many policies cloaked in the guise of ‘equity’ often exclude those they intend to help, stating, “It’s disheartening to see these decisions made without truly acknowledging the individuals involved.” She thought about how this affects various athletes who may identify similarly.
Though Van Reuben has made it to the WDF Dutch Open semifinals in both 2023 and 2024, she’s now competing in the professional darts championship circuit, boasting six women’s PDC titles. Notably, two of her former teammates left their teams due to her decision to join the PDC. Last year, another British female player refused to compete against her in a WDF event.
Van Leuven is also participating in a mixed competition featuring both biological men and women, demonstrating an ongoing interest in more inclusive formats. Meanwhile, PDC executive Matt Porter commented last November that the current policy regarding transgender players was fair, asserting that there would be no modifications, despite recent judicial discussions on gender definitions.
