On 27 July, Dutch, trans darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven (she/her) was participating at the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool when something unpleasant happened. According to PinkNews, just as van Leuven was coming up to play, there were “gender critics” in the crowd. They revealed a banner saying “He’s a man” before being security forcefully escorted them out.
The next day, however, van Leuven posted about the match on her Instagram, saying thank you to all her fans. She has had a tough couple of weeks, but “being up there was already a win in itself,” and she still enjoys the sport she loves.
Like many trans people, van Leuven is not new to transphobic hate comments. According to another PinkNews article, van Leuven has had panic attacks and increased depression because of the hate comments she gets on social media. She did gain support online, but she was still getting death threats everyday.
Back in May of 2024, van Leuven was also faced with transphobia from Deta Hedman, who forfeited and said “I wouldn’t play a man in a women’s event.” People even tried to pay Hedman to make up for “playing with a man.”
Needless to say, van Leuven has been through a lot of shit. These “gender critics” are the cherry on top of this ice cream dung. I am sorry for anyone who went through all of that.
So now, we keep fighting. Just as our Dutch, dart star said, we will continue to enjoy our existence and still do what we love. Play the sports you like; do the activities you love! Trust me, it will positively affect your mental health. We are not going down that easy.
Good luck to van Leuven and her future dart matches! Make sure to have fun!
Photo courtesy of Social Media
