Fact check on Algerian fighter Imane Khelif, DSDs, biology and Olympic boxing
by KINSEY CROWLEY
Despite outcries from anti-trans celebrities and politicians, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Imane Khelif is eligible to compete in women’s boxing at the Paris Games.
Khelif went viral on social media after winning her opening bout Thursday against Italy’s Angela Carini, who stopped fighting after 46 seconds. Khelif, along with Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, were both disqualified from their championships in 2023 after the International Boxing Association said they failed gender eligibility testing, a move that the IOC has called a “sudden and arbitrary decision.”
The two boxers also competed in the 2021 Tokyo Games, but did not medal.
“The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games,” the organization said in a statement. “The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving.”
More: As gender eligibility issue unfolds, Olympic boxer Lin Yu-Ting dominates fight
Fact check: Imane Khelif is a woman
Khelif is a woman, who is not transgender, nor identifies as intersex, according to GLAAD and InterACT.
Khelif reportedly has differences of sexual development, known as DSDs, the organizations said in a Fact Sheet released Friday. Having DSD is not the same as being transgender.
What is DSDs?
Differences in sex development is a set of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs that can cause the sexual development of a person to be different than others, according to the NHS.
Sometimes, this can lead to a person having XY chromosomes but develop otherwise female.
Paris Games has full gender parity, IBA stripped of its governing rights
The IBA, long mired with scandal and controversy, oversaw Olympic boxing before being stripped of its right before the Tokyo Games and is no longer recognized of the international federation of boxing.
In the face of backlash over Khelif’s 2024 win, the IBA stood by its decision to disqualify the boxers over two “trustworthy” and “independent” tests, though they did not disclose what the tests were. The Washington Post reported IBA president claimed they were disqualified over finding XY chromosomes.
The IOC said the gender and age for the athletes is based on their passports.
The Paris Games is the first in history to reach gender parity. Transgender inclusion has had no negative effect on gender parity at the Olympics, according to GLAAD and InterACT. Also, IOC guidelines state athletes should not be excluded from competing due to alleged unfair advantage based on sex variations, according to GLAAD.
Conservatives seize on boxing to spread anti-trans rhetoric
As part of a large wave of anti-LGBTQ laws in the U.S., transgender women in sports has become a key rallying call for conservatives. In the last five years, 25 states have passed laws banning transgender students from participating in sports that match their gender identity, according to data compiled by MAP, despite research from the Human Rights Campaign showing transgender youth are a small part of the population and not all of them are interested in playing sports.
USA Today for more
Imane Khelif is not trans and the drama around her gender is a classic case of weaponising white tears
by MASHAEL SHAH
With a cocktail of bigotry — racism, transphobia and misogyny — the Algerian boxer has faced intense hatred for doing absolutely nothing.
Within 46 seconds, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated her Italian opponent Angela Carini during the Olympic Games. Khelif’s victory sparked huge controversy in Paris — this year’s host city — and online for the strangest of reasons.
Khelif had been disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the IBA of its recognition last year over governance and finance issues, with the Olympic body running the boxing competition in Paris, Reuters reported.
The IOC said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has seen people like British author JK Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk voice their opposition to them competing in the Games.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” the IOC said in a statement. “Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.”
The chief spokesperson for the IOC also clarified in a press conference that Khelif was born a woman, raised a woman and was assigned female on her passport.
Dawn for more