Trans woman Gabrielle Ludwig, who had the distinction this past December of becoming the first trans woman to play college basketball, has been receiving the sort of shitty reception at basketball games that many trans people receive across the country in various walks of life. Thankfully, at a game Wednesday night down in Santa Cruz, the 51-year-old Desert Storm vet found the fans far more respectful, and kind, than she's found elsewhere, even on her home court at Mission College in Santa Clara.
Ludwig has appeared in multiple publications across the country since receiving conference clearance to play on the Mission team back in November something she couldn't do until she received a revised birth certificate showing her gender. She's gotten the full support of her teammates, who have nicknamed the 6-foot-6-inch Ludwig "Big Sexy" and "Princess," and they say she's the glue that keeps the team together -- she's been coaching and working out with the Mission College Lady Saints since the beginning of the year.
And while she was playing the game Wednesday at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, she was also being filmed for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and she did an interview with him earlier in the day. She said that Cabrillo was "by far the most respectful gymnasium" she's encountered so far.
At home and elsewhere, during games, Ludwig has been heckled with things like "get your brother off the court," and two ESPN radio hosts referred to her as an "it" during one of their broadcasts.
She says that even a lot of the positive press coverage has still portrayed her as a "freak show," but she insists she's really pretty normal, with three kids, a love of basketball, and a 12-credit course load at Mission where she's studying to become a systems engineer, hopefully, at a pharmaceutical company.
