A Non-Trans Female Algerian Boxer Is Being Attacked By Anti-Trans Bigots After Winning Her Olympic Fight Yesterday

Strap in, folks; we have another anti-trans moral panic! This time, it's about women's boxing at the Olympics — specifically Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting.

Richard Pelham / Getty Images, Xinhua News Agency / Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

Yesterday, Imane beat Italian boxer Angela Carini in 46 seconds after the latter ended their bout. "I have never felt a punch like this," Angela told the media afterward, a quote that quickly went viral.

This led a bunch of weirdos — as well as a bunch of mainstream media outlets — to start calling Imane a "male." This includes Queen TERF J.K. Rowling, who will not stop posting on X about it:

So, who is Imane? Is she trans? (Going to answer that one here: No). She's a 25-year-old boxer who has competed on an international level since 2018. She initially had difficulties entering the sport, as her father did not think boxing was for girls. As she told UNICEF earlier this year, "I particularly want to inspire girls and children who are disadvantaged in Algeria.”

So, why the gender panic in the first place? In 2023, Imane was disqualified just hours before her gold medal bout at the women's world championship after the International Boxing Association (IBA) said she failed to meet eligibility criteria. Reports then swirled that it was because of Imane having high testosterone, and aforementioned boxer Yu-ting was also stripped of her bronze medal due to not meeting criteria.

Let's take a moment to discuss the IBA, because they're very dodgy. The International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of its authority last year "due to its failure to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues." The IBA also faced controversy for its ties with Russia.

So, the IBA is no longer in charge of who gets to compete at the Olympics in boxing; The IOC is. And, the IOC cleared both Imane and Yu-ting to compete in the games. Subsequently, after the "backlash" ensued, they issued a statement .

On Thursday, the IOC issued a statement on boxing athletes, though they did not name Imane or Yu-ting directly. "Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination," the IOC’s statement began. "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit."

"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category," the statement continued. "These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process."

"The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years," the statement read. "Such an approach is contrary to good governance. Eligibility rules should not be changed during ongoing competition, and any rule change must follow appropriate processes and should be based on scientific evidence."

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams further emphasized , "I think it's very important to say that this is not a transgender issue. These women have been competing in competitions for many years...Testosterone is not the perfect test. Many women can have testosterone which is in what would be called 'male levels' and still be women, and still compete as women."

Here's why I think this story is important: It shows, as activists have said for years, how anti-trans rhetoric can impact cis women. Regardless of Imane's medical history, which I won't speculate about, the reactions I've seen are incredibly disturbing. For one, I have elevated levels of testosterone, and I feel for those with chromosome abnormalities who must feel affected by the vitriol in the commentary surrounding this. And, I'm not from a country where it's illegal to transition, which is the case in Algeria!

Moreover, I can't stand the people who say they care about this because they care about "women's sports." Here are some ways to ACTUALLY support women's sports: Financially back a team that is struggling due to underfunding, work to challenge sexism in communities such as Imane's that prevent women from competing, work against bigotry that athletes like Yu-ting face for having short hair, advocate against domestic violence advocate against domestic violence so that people don't have to take up boxing for self-defense (as Yu-ting reportedly did to protect her mother), support a team through watching and/or posting about them on social media, urge local sports authorities to recognize female athletes' accomplishments properly, the list goes on!