The Olympics took over our feed for some time in July and August. Headline after headline, we saw all the different stories emerge as the games continued. One such story was that of Imane Khelif, a professional boxer competing for Algeria.
On the 1st of August, Khelif faced the Italian Angela Carini. After receiving a punch in the face, the Italian withdrew after only 46 seconds of fighting and refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the match ended. She then cried in the boxing ring after the match concluded and quit because of the pain she felt from the punches.
The following days were followed by outcries from conservative media who demanded for Imane Khelif to be disqualified. Misinformation ran rampant across the internet as prominent celebrities like JK Rowling and Elon Musk criticized the Olympics' decision to include her. The Harry Potter author tweeted about Imane and repeatedly used he/him pronouns to refer to the Algerian boxer.
The reports of Khelif’s high testosterone levels came from the IBA (International Boxing Association) which is no longer recognized by the International Federation of Boxing due to ethical concerns. Regardless of these high testosterone levels, Imane has legally identified as a female since birth. It must also be noted that Algeria is a country where LGBTQ+ people face severe discrimination and even criminal penalties.
Don’t be mistaken. This is not a new phenomenon. Famous athletes like Serena Williams and Ilona Maher have also been subject to accusations of being trans. This wave of investigating cisgender women (mostly due to their looks and being perceived as not feminine enough) did not rise out of nowhere. In the lead-up to the 2024 US Presidential election, trans rights have been highly contended by both sides. Anti-trans politicians like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz tweeted out against Khelif, calling her a biological male.
The Western notion of femininity is deeply biased and centers the Eurocentric perspective. The attack against Khelif can only be seen as anti-Arab and a bid to discredit the hard work that she has put in. The Associated Press observes that “Female athletes of color have historically faced disproportionate scrutiny and discrimination when it comes to sex testing and false accusations that they are male or transgender.”
Payoshina Mitra, director of the Center for Sport and Human Rights (a human rights organization based in Switzerland), notes that international sporting federations don’t offer a true understanding of the differences in sex/gender identity. These gender tests have unfairly targeted women who don’t fit into the Western idea of what a “true” woman is. If a woman doesn’t follow these expectations, they can expect to have accusations about their true identity.
As anti-trans sentiment increases, misinformation about the topic is spreading. The baseless accusations that are thrown at Imane and other female athletes of color only hurt the very demographic it tries to protect.
Sources:
Fazeela Syed
Bentonville, AR
10th Grade
Instagram-@fazsyedd
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