Transgender darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven has slammed ‘toxic b*****s on the women’s tour’ who have criticised her after booking a debut at the World Darts Championship later this year.
The 28-year-old will compete at Alexandra Palace after securing her place in the top two on the PDC Women’s Series Order of Merit.
The Dutchwoman won her fourth Women’s Series event of the year on Saturday, beating Beau Greaves in the final with a huge 109.64 average.
Van Leuven has come in for criticism, though, with some players on the women’s circuit unhappy that a trans player is competing against them.
She says there is plenty of support for her on the tour, but has hit out at some ‘toxic’ people who she believes are just worried about her darts.
‘They secretly tell me that they don’t understand the commotion,’ Van Leuven told Dutch outlet Nu.
‘But there are a lot of conservative, toxic b*****s on the women’s tour. They see me as a threat.’
On her impressive performances on the oche, Van Leuven said: ‘I throw well now because I feel more comfortable.
‘It’s a matter of putting money and hours into it. Not many women do that, but I do. I’ve proven I can win over men, too.’
She told Volkskrant: ‘Some say that I had myself rebuilt so that I could win with the women.
‘But I don’t wish the hell I went through to become who I am now on anyone. I didn’t do that to win more prize money now.’
Veteran star of the women’s game Deta Hedman has been a vocal critic of Van Leuven playing on the women’s tour and refused to play her at the Denmark Open earlier this year.
Hedman forfeited the match and posted on social media: ‘No fake illness, I said I wouldn’t play a man in a woman’s event.
‘People can be whoever they want in life, but I don’t think biological-born men should compete in women’s sports.’
The 64-year-old again pulled out of an event in August after being drawn to play another transgender player, Sam Lewis.
On 30 August the World Darts Federation confirmed in a statement that players could face disciplinary action for withdrawing from matches.
‘The WDF wishes to clarify its position on player withdrawals,’ a statement read.
‘Once the first dart has been thrown in a tournament, any player that subsequently withdraws from playing a match may be considered to be bringing the game into disrepute and could face disciplinary action.
‘This stance has been taken to suitably protect our Member Countries, their tournaments and tournament sponsors, as well as to preserve the integrity of the WDF ranking system.’
Hedman told Telegraph Sport: ‘When that statement went out, I felt it was aimed at me.’
She added: ‘They haven’t shown any regard for the mental health of anyone female-born at all. It’s all about the mental health of transgender women.
‘They have not once come to us ladies and asked how we are feeling about it. We’re having to stand up to say, “This is how we feel”.’
Van Leuven says the immediate reaction to her securing a World Championship spot – the first trans player to do so – was positive.
‘I have already received invitations from three or four talk shows, but I don’t know yet what I will do with them. I was surprised by the many positive messages I received, though. My WhatsApp and Instagram exploded, but the first messages I read were very positive,’ she told AD.nl.
‘It’s not fun to read hate comments about yourself. I know the standard reactions by now, but they always find something new to hit me with. That says more about them than about me, as far as I’m concerned.
‘People should maybe act normal for once and have respect for all people. Let everyone have their own life. If people think something of me, that’s totally fine. Maybe I think something of them too…. I’ll soon be at Ally Pally.’
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