(By Jim Ferretti) -- When the Northwest Women’s Bowling Tour announced that members would vote on whether transgender women could participate in its tournaments, the decision set off a firestorm of debate across social media. Tournament Manager Sean Daniels said he wanted the membership to decide, but for many bowlers the controversy raised deeper questions about fairness, inclusion, and the role of governing bodies like USBC.

For one bowler in particular, the issue is deeply personal.

Mikayla Barber has been part of the Northwest bowling community for decades. For much of that time she was known differently, but earlier this year she fully completed her gender transition legally, medically, and socially into the woman she always knew she was.
“The person I used to present as no longer exists. That representation is gone, but the person inside has always been here. I have gone through a complete gender transition, and now everything about me, including legal documents, is Mikayla Barber,” she said.     
Mikayla described the change as liberating. “One hundred percent free. For so many years I didn’t understand my chemical makeup, my personality, my physical appearance, everything felt wrong. Once I understood what wasn’t correct, I was able to fix it and become the person I always wanted to be.”

Barber acknowledged that many people struggle to understand. “I don’t think most people understand it in those words. Education is lacking when it comes to the transgender community.”

Mikayla believes too much of the conversation is driven by misinformation. “A lot of what people share is hearsay, without any factual evidence. It sounds logical to them, so they repeat it without knowing the facts. I am nowhere near the same person I was four years ago.”

The transition has changed Barber’s bowling. “Hormone replacement therapy completely changed my body. It broke down the muscle mass I had and reshaped everything. My center of gravity is different. I’ve developed hips. Things I could do with my body before, I can’t do the same way now. I had to relearn a lot of things, including bowling.”

Barber first picked up a bowling ball at 16, but it wasn’t until she moved to Oregon in 1994 that she discovered leagues and tournaments. 

Mikayla’s proudest moment came in 2025, after her transition was complete, when she won the IGBO Annual Singles Championship in Las Vegas. “That was a big accomplishment. It was a very large inclusive field. It was very satisfying because it was my first major accomplishment after fully transitioning with all my surgeries.”

She has also bowled in local women’s tournaments without issue. “I’ve bowled and felt comfortable. Everything’s been good. That’s why this surprises me that it’s suddenly an issue after I already felt like I had been accepted in that world.”

The NWWBT vote announcement caught her off guard. “I was surprised. This was the second time this issue has come up from a tournament group. Sean could have made the decision himself, USBC guidelines gave him that ability. Nowhere did it say he needed to call for a vote. Putting it on social media brought in voices who don’t even bowl these events. If it had been kept private, members could have discussed it without all the negative comments,” she said.

Daniels, talks about the decision in a statement provided to VanPortBowlingNews.com.

“As the Tournament Director of the NWWBT, it’s important to note that because our event is not a scratch tournament or a national-level competition, the USBC places full decision-making authority on the tournament manager. After consulting with the USBC National Rules Department, I was informed that this matter would ultimately be left to my discretion. Given the significance of the issue, I did not feel it was appropriate to make this decision unilaterally. The most fair and transparent solution, in my view, was to put the matter to a majority vote. Surveys are being distributed today, and I will continue to manage the events in alignment with the outcome of that vote.

I am aware of the concerns and discussions taking place on social media, including those directed toward me personally. However, decisions of this nature affect the entire community, and it would not be reasonable for a single tournament director to decide them in isolation. My priority remains ensuring that the NWWBT is conducted in a fair, inclusive, and respectful manner for all participants.”
While Daniels emphasized fairness and transparency, Barber said the public process has left her conflicted. “The support I’ve seen sends a strong message of hope and acceptance. But the negativity shows we still have a long way to go. I am nowhere near a threat to female bowlers. USBC has done the science and the research and came out with a statement saying we do not hold any advantage over cis women.”

She also points to the contradiction in USBC’s policies. Her government ID and USBC membership both list her as female, yet she is barred from national women’s championships. “That’s a big message USBC is sending to all trans women,” she said.

Barber rejects the idea that trans women athletes have an unfair advantage. “USBC already did the science and the research. I don’t hold any advantage because I was born male. Bowling is not an endurance sport. It’s not running or swimming where muscle mass gives you an edge. This is a skill sport. You bring the best skill you have on any given day. If you’re the best, you win. If you’re not, you don’t. I don’t believe I hold any advantage.”

She has faced little pushback locally. “The only pushback was when I asked about bowling the Women’s Nationals, and they reiterated the policy. But at the local level, I’ve had no issues with leagues or tournaments. I’ve been accepted in the Northwest bowling community from day one of sharing my personal story.”

Still, she acknowledged that bowling’s reputation as “the most inclusive sport” is being tested. “If they want to say they’re inclusive, they need to represent that. Right now it’s being challenged. Trans is a big story, and until we get through it, there will always be the conversation of whether we should be included.”

She added that the issue is one-sided. “If my sister became a trans man and wanted to bowl with the men, there wouldn’t be a conversation. You wouldn’t be interviewing my brother. Women before me and after me have always been held to a different standard than men, and now trans women are just another layer of it.”

To critics who reduce the issue to “men versus women,” Barber said, “I’m not Mike asking to be a woman. I’ve gone through so many physical and mental changes. Beyond that, I’m under a microscope every time I bowl. I’m judged by every ball I throw, whether I win or lose. There’s no advantage, only more pressure.”

Her message to women who oppose inclusion is simple. “They need to be educated. They need to talk to a trans woman, sit down, and understand that we’re not a threat. We are trans women who love this sport, we want to promote it, and we want it to grow.”

Asked what an inclusive bowling community would look like, she said, “One where every individual, no matter their makeup, religion, gender, background, financial situation, or color, can feel comfortable enough to walk into any bowling alley and fit in. Inclusive means everybody. It goes far beyond gender.”

Despite the controversy, Barber is not backing down. “I always have a positive outlook. Maybe this is my time to be more public than I have been. I’m ready to take that on, but I hope it doesn’t put more undue pressure on me.”

She emphasized that she speaks only for herself. “I agreed to this interview to speak for Mikayla Barber, who is a trans woman in the Northwest bowling community. I am not speaking for any other trans woman, trans man, or anyone else in the LGBTQ+ community. This is simply my story.”

Publisher’s Note: The opinions expressed in this story belong to the interviewee. My role as publisher is to provide a platform for voices within our bowling community to be heard, not to take sides in the debate.