Algerian Boxer Facing Transphobia

I took some time before writing this to allow events to unfold and new information to come out. The Olympics have left me feeling absolutely awful and it’s not for the reasons you’d think. I’m sure if you’ve been online in the past few weeks you’ve scrolled past the name Imane Khelif.

Imane Khelif is a boxer from Algeria who recently took home gold in the women’s welterweight event. But, people have problems with her… Specifically her sex. Many people are speculating that Imane is a transgender woman and is therefore “a man”. Thus begins the transphobia.

After her victory against Italy’s Angela Carini, tension rose. Angela dropped out seconds into the match. She claims to have never been hit that hard in her life so… Imane must be a man... What? Imagine going to a punching competition and complaining when your opponent punches you. The way Angela painted her in an interview following her defeat is extremely power hungry and predatory as she dominates her opponents, but this is quite the opposite of who Imane is. She is simply doing what any professional boxer would do… Going for gold. 

Many have used Imane’s failed gender test back in 2023 during a world championship as a talking point, but they don’t go fully into the stakes. She had reached the finals but was suddenly disqualified by the IBA due to high testosterone levels. What was curious is the fact that she was only disqualified after defeating Russian boxer Azalia Amineva. This is important to note as the IBA is controlled by Umar Kremlev, who is Russian. Imane wasn’t even the only one disqualified due to failing a gender test, boxer Lin Yu-ting was also disqualified in a sudden manner. The reason behind the disqualifications is also extremely unclear as is usual with the IBA. The tests themselves have very little information revealed about them, we also don’t know what exactly is being tested. This is part of the reason as to why the IBA is banned from the Olympics. 

None of these things prove Imane is transgender. Even speculating that just because she’s more masculine is majorly insensitive and rude. It is incredibly important to remember that Imane’s country does not allow queer people to exist. Trans people in Algeria are not allowed to be out. She would never be allowed to transition in her country. There are no records of her getting any surgeries done. It baffles me that this still has to be discussed. Imane has a medical condition which causes her to have elevated testosterone levels compared to the average cis woman. 

There are a plethora of medical conditions that can cause elevated testosterone in women, whether it be PCOS, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or ovarian cancer. There are many speculations as to what Imane’s case is, but the most popular thing I’ve seen is differences in sexual development or DSD. This covers a wide range of intersexuality and other conditions having to do with hormones, genes, and reproductive organs. This doesn’t make Imane any less of a woman. 

Imane has begun suing several people who have spoken out against her, including Elon Musk and known trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) JK Rowling. I will most likely be covering this in a separate article as even more unfolds. Once again, I am disgusted by cis people refusing to do any research on their own and feeding their own ignorance.