Watch highlights from the final round of Discraft’s Great Lakes Open presented by Grip6!

Please note that this is a condensed version of the live broadcast and not meant to be shot-by-shot coverage.

For shot by shot coverage from Discraft’s Great Lakes Open, tune into @JomezPro, @GK Pro, and @Gatekeeper Media

Statement on Transgender Athletes & Community Guidelines

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27 Comments

  1. Congrats Natalie! She won within the rules of the game. It's obviously very controversial but I don't see that she has a clear advantage at this time. There may be a different conversation/approach to the rules if she becomes dominant, but at this point she seems on par with all the others out there and finally came out on top.

  2. I'm a DG fan who plays daily and watches all the pro events. I didn't know Natalie's story, very interesting. I'm sorry she's been had to deal with more bigotry, specifically from this community. Congrats on your first elite series win. Based on the sentiment among even the haters on social media, you'll have several more wins soon enough. 😀

  3. This is a hard conversation to have, because as societies progress, they naturally become more inclusive. I think more inclusiveness is a good thing, and I try to be supportive of the trans community because I understand the struggles they have to deal with on a daily basis. There are a lot of mean, violent, unsympathetic, and uncaring people who act out against issues and individuals that they don't understand. And I think more exposure can help destigmatize transsexuality, similar to how the perception of homosexuality has become more positive and normalized over time.

    At the same time, I understand the backlash against trans women participating in the FPO–or indeed in many womens' sports. These divisions were created to allow women to compete on a level playing field without biological men, and adding trans women into the mix has now made it possible for biological women to be competing at a disadvantage. This may very well impact them in terms of rankings, sponsorship, and career earnings, and it's a situation that will become more complicated as more trans athletes enter the sport.

    I think it's ok to admit that differences exist between biological women and trans women. It's also possible that the participation of trans women in the FPO may run counter to the reason it was created. In my opinion, the only reasonable solution is that trans women should compete in the MPO, which is by definition a mixed professional open. This may make it more difficult for trans women to compete–especially with hormone therapy–but unfortunately, this still may be the fairest option, because it impacts the smallest number of people.

    I'll add that even if nothing changes, I'll still watch and appreciate the content. To me, it's more down to what the players themselves believe is fair, and whatever they decide, I'll be happy with. At the end of the day, it's just Frisbees, and the PDGA will have to decide how seriously they want to take it.

  4. Congratulations Natalie! Hope this first elite series win continues to drive you to keep working hard! Ignore the haters!

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