Like It Is: Transgender Golfer Hailey Davidson Shares Her Story
Even though most people don't know a transgender person, everyone seems to have an opinion... and more often than not, it isn't positive. While the world debates transgender transitioning and transgender athletes, we wanted to hear from someone who's been through it.
Hailey Davidson transitioned seven years ago and explains what life is like for her on and off the course as she continues to chase her dream as a professional golfer, despite the many obstacles. She opens up about discovering her transgender identity, how her family and friends reacted, dealing with the criticism on social media, mental health & the challenges of being a transgender athlete.
They Discuss:
:57 - When she first started questioning her gender identity.
1:50 - How she discussed her thought/feelings with family and friends, being so young.
3:20 - It was a confusing time and the mixed emotions of going through puberty.
4:38 - Who was first person she talked to about it?
6:25 - She details the first discussion about it with her parents.
8:17 - After going back-and-forth and questioning her gender identity for years, Hailey finally came to terms with it and made some difficult decisions.
13:51 - The conversation shifts to golf. What was her swing speed before she transitioned?
14:41 - She was a long hitter before transitioning... comparisons.
15:16 - What was her swing speed one year after transitioning?
17:02 - Seven years into transitioning: What's her swing speed now?
18:52 - Where's the advantage? Comparisons to LPGA players in terms of length.
19:26 - Has she faced challenges from people not wanting her to complete? Hormone and blood work?
23:11 - The impact on all transgender athletes after the Lia Thomas (Penn swimmer) story came out.
25:49 - How does she deal with the hatred and horrible things that people say to her and about other transgender people on social media?
28:56 - What should we do when posting this episode: Should we turn off comments on social media?
30:42 - What's next? How do we make this fair for both transgender athletes and female (at birth) athletes?
34:26 - How all of this has affected her mental health...
