Olympic boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting are women. They were born female. Doctors determined that when they were children, and that has been their sex ever since. They have never done anything to change it. Neither of them is transgender.
It is surprising, then, that the famous critics of transgenderism have been blatantly contradicting each other in recent days. They have been declaring for years that people are the sex they were assigned at birth, no matter what changes they make to their bodies. Now, without any proof other than the traditionally masculine constitution of Khelif from Algeria and Lin from Taiwan, they have decided that they are both men and have said so in insulting ways in interviews and hate-filled posts on social media.
Children's author JK Rowling, who has become an informal figure in the anti-trans movement, described Khelif's victory as “a man beating a woman in public for his entertainment” and posted other disparaging comments calling Khelif a man.
It is interesting that Rowling and other critics, such as vice presidential candidate Senator JD Vance and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, had no objections when these two women boxed during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and lost to many other women, without taking home any medals. There were no complaints that the winning female boxers in Tokyo were unfairly beating men.
Khelif's shock victory last week over Italian boxer Angela Carini was what had everyone on edge. No wonder Carini could lose (she also lost her first bout at the Tokyo Games), but she retreated so quickly, after a heavy blow to the face. Her critics claimed that the force of the blow must have been due to Khelif's level of male hormones or the something.
Protesters have bolstered their claims by pointing to the 2022 decision by the Russian-run International Boxing Association (IAB) that tests showed the two boxers had abnormalities that made them ineligible to compete as women. What curious timing: the decision came after Khelif beat a Russian boxer. But the scandal-plagued IBA has been banished by the International Olympic Committee since 2019, and the IOC has since called its testing of Khelif and Lin “so flawed as to be impossible to address.”
The female boxers' case is similar to that of Caster Semenya, a gold medal-winning runner at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, who suffers from a condition that causes testosterone levels to be more male-like. But despite rumours, there is no evidence that Khelif or Lin Yu-ting have elevated testosterone levels or Y chromosomes.
It shouldn't matter, either. Elite athletes often have physical attributes that give them an advantage. In the case of swimmer Michael Phelps, these include very large hands and feet that propel him through the water, along with a large torso for his size, which helps him float. Gymnasts, basketball players, and other star athletes typically have uncommon innate characteristics that they hone with discipline, practice, and courage to reach the top. The concept of injustice comes into play when athletes enhance their natural attributes through banned substances.
The IOC does not ignore issues of transgenderism or other potential unfair advantages, but instead considers them on a case-by-case basis, basing its decisions on evidence and science, as it should be.
Unlike Rowling and her ilk, the IOC has the medical records of both boxers, considered the science and concluded that they do not have an unfair advantage, and that they are what they say they are and have been since birth. Women.
